Soar
by imafangirlforever
Summary: If one were to see them, they would conclude that they were simply immature, crazy, and insane whenever they were together. Even so, they still managed to get along where it counted. "What are you doing?" "Running and trying to save our sorry asses! You should try it sometime." Jae-Ha/OC/Soo-Won
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Because honestly, who doesn't love Jae-Ha? And because having one shipping in a story's boring, let's throw Soo-Won in the mix.**

**Blame the plot bunnies. I literally marathoned all of the manga chapters that was available two days ago and fell in love with the manga (and felt sad when there wasn't much fanfiction for the fandom, especially for Jae-Ha and Soo-Won).**

**I don't own Akatsuki no Yona. The same thing goes for the other chapters.**

_**Edited 5/20/17.**_

* * *

She had been walking on the winding dirt road that led from the Earth Tribe's land into the Fire Tribe's when she heard the sound of footsteps. To be more precise, a _lot_ of heavy footsteps. Her head whipped sideways, amber eyes desperately searching the horizon to see what the cause was. Her eyes widened as she saw a group of horses with riders on them, two of the horses' riders holding up the banner of the Emperor. She bit back a curse: she hadn't prepared for something like this, not yet.

...this was _not_ going her ideal way.

She moved to the left, off the road and into the grassy farmland area, fiddling with her collar that clung to her neck as she waited for the group to pass by. The outfit she was wearing was dark black, camellias the shade of compelling scarlet decorating the silky fabric. Golden linings embroidered the one piece: it hugged her body closely, ending at her knees. It was a new style that had come from the Kai Empire she managed to find at one of Earth's markets.

"Oi! You!" The voice jolted her awake as she pushed back a stray strand of her midnight black hair, turning to the cavalryman who had spoken. She took a deep breath as she straightened herself and calmed down.

"Yes?"

"Bow down to the emperor, you worthless peasant trash_—_" The man was cut off by a hand lifting, and he fell silent as the Emperor unmounted off his horse as he stepped onto the ground, studying the woman.

"Stop, Sei." He addressed his attendant before turning around.

Soo-Won's breath caught as he recognized those unforgettable amber eyes, and he was sure that his hands and voice was trembling as he hesitantly whispered, "...Li...Hua?"

The girl froze, caught, and slowly she lifted her eyes up to meet the Emperor's gaze, ignoring the infuriated whispers of his escorts behind him. "Soo-Won," she acknowledged, a little amusement flickering through her amber eyes. "Or should I call you Emperor Soo-Won now? Your Majesty?"

"How have you been?" He slowly took a step towards her, but Li-Hua mirrored his action and stepped back one step, as if to make sure he never closed the distance between the two.

"I've been well. And you?" She threw her head up into the wind and laughed, the action sounding slightly bitter as her eyes trailed the expensive outfit he was in. "Well, I guess I don't need to ask that. Did you finally man up and marry Princess Yona?"

The man froze, and although his smile still kept on his face, it twitched ever so slightly as the girl's eyes narrowed, knowing the man far too well to be able to distinguish what all of his actions meant. He was not fine. Not fine at all, and it had something to do with the Princess. She was really out of date when it came to info about Emperor Il's death: all she knew was that he finally kicked the bucket and Soo-Won had taken up the throne. She _did_ hear a few rumors about Hak, but dismissed it as nonsense. As far as she knew the raven haired boy, he would murder the Emperor he idolized.

Finally, Soo-Won's shoulders slumped and he sighed, running a hand through his almost annoyingly perfect blonde hair. "I suppose you don't know."

"Know what?"

He hesitated for a moment, but Li-Hua's pressing eyes prompted him to continue. "The Princess and Hak are dead, Li."

And in that very moment, the girl froze just as he had, the only thing that indicated any kind of concern or mourning being her eyes. Had it been any other person rather than Soo-Won, they would not have been able to discern the flash of pain in the woman's eyes before she mastered her poker face once again. "I...see," she said slowly. Li-Hua plastered a smile on her face, despite the fact that she knew her friend would see through it completely. Voice trembling, she murmured, "It seems like General Hak failed his job, huh?"

"...I suppose." His brown eyes were staring somewhere far off in the distance as his expression almost grew vacant, stroking the feathers of the bird on his shoulder. If she remembered correctly, _Hak_ was the one who helped Soo-Won raise that bird. A pang of sadness and regret hit her as she buried it deep inside her, pushing away the emotions to the side. There was no time for that right now. But that rare moment of seriousness she had glimpsed from the newly crowned Emperor was gone, and the cheerful idiotic side of him was back. "So, since we're old friends, how about you join me? I can always use another bodyguard."

"I'm afraid not, Emperor."

"We have money~"

She hesitated, but shook her head as memories of fire and betrayal ran through her head. "I'd rather not get mixed into any royal affairs anymore, Soo-Wo_—_Emperor."

"You can call me Soo-Won, just as you used to."

"I'm afraid I can't do that anymore." Her eyes softened for a moment before Li-Hua bowed towards him, and his eyebrow twitched, irritated, as he realized that the woman had already slipped out of his grasp. Li-Hua started walking down the road they were both travelling through_—_her out of the Earth Tribe, and him in.

Li-Hua paused for a moment, turning back as her eyes flashed with some emotion akin to regret. She lifted a hand and waved at him, a smile tugging at her face. "See you later, Emperor Soo-Won."

He couldn't help but smile back: a true, genuine smile despite the fact that she still attached the title 'Emperor' to his name. Only one thought ran through his head: s_he didn't say goodbye._ "Take care of yourself," the words flew out of his mouth naturally.

But by that time, she was already gone.

.

_No matter how much she tried to run away from the past, it would still catch up to her. This wasn't the first, nor the last, of their chance meetings._

* * *

"Awa port, eh?" She stared down at the port, one of the many bustling cities in the Earth Tribe that were oppressed by corrupt rulers, according to the information she had gathered from one of her previous jobs. Li-Hua was on top of a massive hill that oversaw the entire city, and from her spot she could see almost anything. "Interesting."

Li-Hua donned a maroon robe with golden hemlines and cuffs, and to her right side a small purse weighed off her shoulder. It held her entire fortune in it: a vast collection of Ling she dared not to enter into any of the shady banks in the Kouka Kingdom. Two swords were slung behind her back in wooden sheat_h, t_he cheap wood serving the purpose of hiding the true beauty of the blades behind a seemingly poor sheath. Her signature dragon shaped golden hairpin was in place, pulling back her raven black hair and holding it in place, along with several other hairpins.

She stretched her weary limbs, nearly exhausted from the long walk, as she scanned the city before landing on a hot springs inn. It would suffice to shelter her for the night.

She walked through the city confidently, ignoring any strange looks thrown her way as Li-Hua noticed that almost all the women shied away from her, either shutting the shutters or hiding inside their houses with nervous faces. It seemed like there really _was_ some kind of shady business going on.

"Hm..." Li-Hua hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger on her chin as she veered to the right, coming across the inn as she nodded towards the person at the counter, setting down a few copper coins as she said, "One night please."

The old lady's eyes crinkled as she counted the money before giving a satisfactory nod. "Fair enough. You're free to use the hot springs while you are here."

"Thank you."

"And seeing as a nice young lady as yourself is travelling alone," the woman's voice lowered as her next words came out as a whisper, and Li-Hua had to lean in to hear the lady's words. "...I suggest that you be careful while you're here and hightail it out of the city while you can. It's dangerous to stay in a place like this."

"I see. Thank you, but I'll be fine." Li-Hua drew back as a smile curled on her lips. It seemed that even though there was still so much corruptness and _evil_ in the world, there was still some good as well. "I'll be heading to the bath now."

The lady nodded and handed her the key to her room, and she whisked past the woman as her footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. No one else was in the hallways at the moment rather than herself, and it was almost eerily quiet as her grip on her bag tightened.

"It's awfully quiet here," Li-Hua observed, unlocking the door to her room with the key she had been given and setting down her things on the floor gently as to not disturb anyone else who might be in the rooms next door. She exited the room, locking the door. Before she headed to the hot springs, she paused for a moment, turned back, and jiggled the door knob a few times to make sure that it was secure.

The door did not open, even when she tried her hardest for it to open. Good. Li-Hua was suspicious that there might be things_—_or people_—_in the city she wouldn't want to sneak into her room while she was gone.

She reached the hot springs, undressing and setting her clothes in one of the cabinets provided to the guests as she grabbed a towel and headed into the water.

To Li-Hua's relief, she wasn't the only one in there. Despite the fact that less people brought peace, this town was too suspicious for her liking, and if anything happened it was always beneficial to have other people around.

There was one quiet looking girl in the corner of the pool, her head half submerged underwater and just high enough so she could breathe. She had auburn hair and innocent looking green eyes, and when Li-Hua had entered the girl smiled at her.

There was also two other women, both with long black hair that reached their waist, but one of them had their hair curled while the other kept her hair straight. They were sitting in the hot spring and engaged with idle conversation, so Li-Hua decided not to bother them and instead moved towards the auburn haired girl.

"Hello, what's your name? My name's Li." The half-lie rolled off her tongue naturally.

The girl looked startled, as if amazed that anyone would talk to her. "M-Mei-Lin."

"Can I call you Mei?" Li-Hua beamed, plastering on a fake smile as the girl vigorously nodded. Her amber eyes softened for a moment. This girl was kind of like Yona: a naive person who didn't have many friends.

"You see," she continued, twirling a strand of her black hair idly as the lie slipped easily off her tongue thanks to accumulated practice, "I'm a traveler and I used to live in Kuuto: I'm working on a novel about the 5 tribes of Kouka, but I don't know much about the Earth Tribe's culture. Do you mind telling me about this town?"

Mei-Lin's eyes darted around nervously, as if making sure that no one was listening to their conversation (it wasn't like there _was_ anyone there other than the 2 other women, both of which were on the other side of the hot spring) and slowly nodded. "Awa's a port town, so we specialize in things like trading with other cities. We use the ports a lot to ships all kinds of goods."

"Like?" Li-Hua prompted, her eyes flickering with intelligence which she masked with a bright smile.

"...tea, fabric, seafood. Those kinds of things. After all, we live right next to other harbor. Although there are some..._other_ things going around." The girl's eyes turned dark as her emerald orbs were focused elsewhere, and Li-Hua nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you." Changing the subject, she asked, "Do you want to hear about my journey around the Earth Tribe?"

"Ah, that would be wonderful!" Mei-Lin clapped her hands together excitedly, obviously relieved for the change of subject as she nodded. As Li-Hua entertained her companion with stories of her adventures and encounters with wild animals and the people who lived around the Earth Tribe's territory, Li-Hua kept a close follow on the two women's conversation (she thanked her mother's genes for having good ears).

"And...girls?"

"...heard that they never came back." That phrase caught Li-Hua's attention, and she momentarily paused in the middle of her storytelling before continuing as the women gave her suspicious looks. Mei-Lin asked her about life in Kyuuto, and from that she began talking about the Capitol-despite the fact that she didn't actually live there, she had visited it a few times thanks to Yona, Hak, and Soo-Won, talking about the atmosphere of the people and how the crowds were always bustling.

Finally, she felt that time had passed enough that it was adequate enough for her to leave without looking suspicious. She gave a smile to Mei-Lin, who had been enraptured the whole time by Li-Hua's tales.

Apologetically, she said, "I'm afraid I must retire to bed. My travels have tired me quite a lot." To prove the statement, Li-Hua yawned and covered her mouth with her hand. The girl jumped, waving her hands frantically.

"O-oh, of course! I'm sorry for keeping you so long!"

"No problem." Li-Hua lifted herself out of the hot springs, wrapping her towel around her body as she sighed contentedly before a sudden motion of wind that flew past her had her snapping around, unpinning her hair pins and thrusting them to where she had felt air rush past her. The whole action took at most three seconds, and she registered that she had made herself a _very_ suspicious figure now but pushed the matter aside for the time being as she turned to look at the cause of the disturbance.

There was a muffled thud and her eyes widened as she noticed she had pinned a _man_ on the bamboo wall separating the men's section and the women's section of the hot springs. It seemed as if he had fallen out of the sky, if that was even remotely possible.

The man groaned, and the rest of the women screamed. Mei-Lin and the two women rushed past her, clutching their towels to their body as they hurried back into the house.

His eyes opened to reveal startling emerald orbs with flecks of copper, and she felt almost transfixed as her golden eyes met his. Then, she realized what kind of situation she was in and almost blushed, had it not for her constant training of suppressing her emotions.

"I'm afraid this is _ladies_ only," she said coolly, and Li-Hua was sort of surprised at how calm her voice sounded.

The man rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his green hair falling down loosely. It seemed one of her hairpins had sliced straight through the orange ribbon he was using to tie it up. He chuckled, complimenting her as his eyebrows raised. "You have one heck of an aim."

"Why are you here?"

"I was just jumping from rooftop to rooftop when I slipped," he spoke the honest truth, although Jae-Ha knew that the woman wouldn't believe him anyways. He couldn't help but nod approvingly as his eyes slid down her near-bare figure, and she chucked the nearest object she had, which was a stone, at his head and had it not that he angled his head to the left a little, he swore she would have knocked his head right off.

"Get. Out."

"Kind of hard when I'm stuck up here." He shrugged helplessly, his eyes flickering towards the cuffs of his sleeves, hinting at the hairpins-which were more like throwing blades the way she handled them-that had pinned his clothing and thus, his body to the wall. The woman stalked over to him, partially fuming at having to do such a deed, pulling out her hairpins, before pushing him into the water as he fell into the water and resurfaced, sputtering and confused albeit a little amused at her rage.

"Pervert." She turned around and left, never looking back as Li-Hua resolved to _leave_ this town immediately-who cared about the suspicious behavior of the people: this pervert was the last straw and she was sure eventually _someone_ would come along and pick up the investigation from where she left off. Just in case, she made a mental note to contact one of her affiliates to help out the town later because her conscious would never let her rest if she just left the town unattended.

Behind her, she could hear the man chuckle. "Such an amusing woman. And yet... I never got her name."

_It was the first reason of many, and even though she would never ask for it, this would not be the last time she met that mysterious man with the long green hair and emerald eyes._

* * *

**A/N: How was that? Not too bad for a first chapter, although I suppose I could have done better. ^_^**

**Thanks for reading, and review please~**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry for not updating sooner! Anyways, as applied to all the other chapters, I don't own Akatsuki no Yona.**

_**Edited 5/20/17.**_

* * *

_It was a particularly rainy day, the sky covered with silver clouds, and Sun's rays completely blocked by the overbearing outcast. Below the fresh canopy of a plum tree, mother and daughter sat, the other two members of their family having already returned back home. Li-Hua had always felt more close to her mother, be it her gentle personality compared to their rough, mysterious father, or because of how she looked like her mother (just like how her sister looked like her father)._

_Suddenly, her mother spoke, breaking the silence as her eyes looked somewhere far, far, away. In the distance, despite the rain that was beginning to fall heavier, Li-Hua could squint and see dancing flames of fire licking at the land. A jolt of fear ran through her before her mother's voice calmed her down. "Do you know what your name means, Li?"_

_The petite girl shook her head, her amber eyes peering up curiously as if to prompt the woman to continue, and the woman's gaze softened as she bent down to pat the girl on the head. "Li-Hua...it means beautiful and elegant. But 'Li' means plum. Do you know why I chose that name for you?"_

_Li-Hua shook her head again, and she noted that the flames were drawing closer and the rain was starting to lift. It would be bad for the village's crops if the fire came any closer, and she should probably tell her father._

_They were a reserved, quaint merchant family that often moved around thanks to their father's occupation. Despite travelling to many places, they hardly forged any long-term connections with anyone. The Fire Tribe's land and people were extremely poor, but there were still many aristocrats who loved her father's wooden carvings. Li-Hua often wondered why their family just didn't stay in one place (many of the aristocrats who loved to flaunt their wealth had no problem sponsoring them to stay with them if necessary), but when she had asked she had been hushed by her mother._

"_It's because that just like how the plums are always planted, grown, and harvested before the cycle starts over again, you shall always get back up: over and over and over, no matter what. Do you understand?" It seemed as if her mother had finally noticed the flames as well, and her eyes widened just a fraction before glancing down at her daughter and plastering on another smile. The act almost fooled Li-Hua, but her mother's serious eyes belied her concern as she held her daughter's small hands in her own._

_Li-Hua nodded._

"_Good. Now go inside and tell your father to come outside. And no matter what, you and your sister must stay in the house, understand?"_

"_But mother_—_"_

"_Do you understand?" Her mother's jade green eyes flashed dangerously._

"_...yes."_

"_And Li-Hua…" The woman paused for a moment, as if considering if she should continue her sentence._

"_Yes?" The girl prompted, her copper eyes widening as she leaned in closer towards her mother, the wind blowing at her hair and tossing the braid her mother made into the air._

"_Take care of your sister."_

* * *

Li-Hua was storming down the bustling streets of Awa in a hurry. Part of her was still fuming at the imprudence of that green haired man for barging in the women's hot springs and having the nerve to say that it was "an accident". The other part of her that still hailed to sanity told her to calm down.

An accident? Li-Hua was fairly certain that people did not "fall out of the sky", as quoted from her lovely stranger. She knew that her face was probably scrunched up into a very intimidating scowl that was drawing away most of the villagers, so with a deep breath that helped her focus on her main goal again, she calmed herself down.

The reason Li-Hua had arrived in Awa was because she believed it was an interesting place to travel to, and after seeing the conditions of the villagers (_f__ake smiles, wary looks, hesitant whispers_) she had resolved to help them. One pervert would not distract her from that task.

Li-Hua's hands clenched into a fist as she gritted her teeth, shutting her eyes for a moment as she allowed herself to shut away the world that was moving around her. She opened them again.

Her feet slowed down as Li-Hua kept her pace to a steady walk, her golden eyes blinking owlishly as she realized that she had no idea where she was going. The oriental rooftops of the various buildings surrounding her all looked the same, although to her right she could see the sea which meant she was facing the opposite direction to the inn. Li-Hua skidded to a stop, barely avoiding bumping into a passerby.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly to the man, her amber eyes glancing up for just a second as she nearly tripped over in surprise. It seemed as if the past month had her reuniting with several of her old acquaintances...although after she had seen Soo-Won, Li-Hua couldn't really believe who was in front of her eyes. "Hak?"

The tall, raven haired man who had nearly walked on without a glance stiffened, and he turned around, his narrowed eyes observing her. Then, his jaw almost dropped. Li-Hua had no doubt that had it not been for his hard training as a stoic soldier, he would've tripped over his words. "Li-Hua?"

"This month has been very eventful," Li-Hua mused as she struggled to find the words to express her thoughts. "First Soo-Won, now you? Who's next, Yona?"

Perhaps if it was another time Hak might have glared at her for addressing the Princess with such informality (Li-Hua never cared for social niceties like titles when it came to the redhead, and she knew that Hak really didn't either but refused to admit it). But instead of relaxing at the sound of Soo-Won's name, Hak's body seemed to grow more tense. "Soo-Won? You met him?" He growled, hand tightening on his weapon as Li-Hua resisted the urge to draw her own weapons.

"Yes, I did," she said calmly, and inside of her she applauded herself for being able to keep calm under the Lightning Beast's gaze. "He said you two were dead, Hak."

"...well, we are to them," Hak nearly inaudibly mumbled with dark intensity as he glanced to the side. His obsidian eyes returned to her as he raised his eyebrows slightly. Shifting the weight of his body to his left foot, he commented dryly, "Haven't seen you for a while since your disappearance. Where have you been?"

"My, is the great Hak making conversation?" Li-Hua mock-gasped, a grin tugging at her lips. "It's a miracle!"

"Oh, shut it," Hak grumbled.

Even though Li-Hua wanted to ask the bodyguard more about him and Yona, specifically: "why they were in Awa?" and "why had neither Soo-Won nor Hak proposed to the redhead yet?", their conversation was cut off by the protests of a young woman to their right. Li-Hua's eyes darted in that direction, and she observed the scene quietly for a moment.

It seemed that in the middle of one of the smaller streets connecting to the one they were standing in, a pretty looking young woman was being harassed by two men. Li-Hua quickly noted that none of the people around them were interfering, instead nervously glancing to the side as they moved on with their lives avoiding the scene. Cowards, but Li-Hua could scarcely blame them when she still wasn't completely sure about Awa's living conditions. Her lips turned downwards into a sneer as she stared at the men.

_Disgusting._

"What? We're Awa soldiers," the man was saying, jeering at the young woman as he leaned closer to her. He grabbed her hands, which before were crossed over her chest, into his hands as he pulled her closer. "Just who do you think it's thanks to that you can go on living your life?"

The woman took a step back as if trying to escape, but his friend rounded about her, cutting off her only route for escape. The man leaned in closer so that his next words needed only to be a whisper. Li-Hua herself barely caught the words. "Tell me how much I can buy you for. That's not bad, is it?"

"You're bothering me! Let me go!"

Li-Hua turned to Hak, who was looking quite conflicted as he stared at the scene agonizingly. It seemed as if he wanted to interfere, but for some reason he wasn't doing it. It dawned on Li-Hua that Hak and Yona must have been on the run for something, considering they didn't show back up at the palace after their so-called 'death' to reclaim the throne. There must be something else going on.

"Li-Hua—" Hak started and the girl sighed reluctantly, knowing she couldn't refuse her old friend's request.

"I got it, I got it. Scum like them need to be dealt with, right?" Her hands crept towards her sword's sheath, but ultimately she decided against it as Li-Hua faintly heard the woman's pleas for forgiveness continue.

Li-Hua casually strolled up to the scene, ignoring the stares and whispers as she mentally sighed. Her anonymity in the town was up, and Hak was definitely going to owe her for this. She plastered on a sweet smile, hips swaying seductively as she called out, "Oi! What are you two handsome men doing?"

All three of the people involved in the scene, including the woman, turned in faint surprise as they looked at the strange woman clad in foreign clothes. Li-Hua made sure to add an exaggerated flutter of her eyelashes as she preened under their attention. One of the men's features seemed to light up as he swaggered up to Li-Hua, the black haired woman continuing to smile coyly as she approached the man. "Why would a handsome man like you," she purred, tracing her finger against the soldier's chest. "...need someone like her? Come on, I'm sure I can show you a much better time."

"Well, I don't mind—"

Two feet flew at the man's face simultaneously, knocking him down to the ground. By the loud '_thud'_ that followed the kick, Li-Hua could deduce that the soldier had been knocked unconscious from the sheer force of the kicks. Li-Hua blinked in faint surprise, neck craning around to view her "saviors", only to spot Hak and a green haired man standing before her.

Li-Hua blinked again when she realized that it was the same pervert from the hot springs before. She felt her jaw nearly drop before she regained her control of herself. "Hak, what are you doing?" Li-Hua sputtered, waving her hands wildly as she gestured towards the men. The unconscious man's pal stood still, almost stupefied from the shock of seeing his comrade beaten up by two strangers. "I had it under control!"

"When I said take care of him I didn't mean to seduce him," Hak gave her a look.

"What, would you rather us start a bunch of rumors about some travelers beating up the local lord's soldiers?" She protested. "Do you think that—"

"—you three will get out of this unharmed?" The man's companion finished, lunging towards Li-Hua with a newly brandished dagger in hand.

The woman quickly sidestepped to the left, not even glancing at her assailant and allowing for Hak to land a kick in the enemy's side while the green haired stranger knocked the man over. Li-Hua's eyes trailed upwards apathetically as her hand reached out and grabbed the knife that went spinning out of her attacker's hands. She observed it for a moment: it had a fine intricate handle of silver and seemed to be in good condition. She pocketed it just as she heard noises coming from behind her.

"Hey! What's with all of the commotion?" A bunch of soldiers had hurried towards the scene, probably thanks to a civilian alerting them of the mess.

"Crap." "Oh my." Both Hak and the droopy eyed stranger said at the same time as Li-Hua grabbed on to the young woman's hand.

"Come on," she tugged at it, and the woman looked confused for a second before Li-Hua sighed, bending down and grabbing the woman's legs, swinging the woman's lithe body on her back so she could carry the girl easier. It seemed as if Hak and the pervert had caught her drift and the four hurried off, Hak and the pervert kicking and punching any soldiers in their way.

"Are you a soldier? It seems you've gone through some considerable training." The green haired man asked Hak warily, although his eyes also darted to Li-Hua's quick figure contemplatively.

"No, I'm just a traveler," Hak replied simply although Li-Hua couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. _Hak, _a mere foot soldier? That would be the day. She'd definitely tease the raven haired man later about the comment.

"A traveler?" The stranger repeated questioningly.

"What about you? You're not so ordinary yourself." Hak easily changed the subject, his narrowed eyes darting over to the green haired stranger suspiciously. Li-Hua couldn't help but start listening to the conversation more attentively: she felt that there was something..._off_ about this man.

"Eh? I'm not ordinary, as in beautiful?" The man asked brightly, sparkles and flowers literally surrounding him as he ran. Li-Hua visibly shuddered.

"No, he's just a pervert," she said dryly, catching both men's attention as Hak snorted while the stranger pouted. The woman on her back squeaked at the comment, hugging a little more tightly to Li-Hua as she maintained a deadpan expression while watching the stranger's face contort into a frown.

"How cruel, my lady." The pet name didn't amuse Li-Hua, but she didn't have enough time to bother with the subject.

They slowly came to a stop, Hak turning around and observing the area. It seemed as if there wasn't anyone rather than a few locals around them, but he still maintained his aura of caution. "Did we lose them yet?"

Li-Hua set down the woman she was carrying, who gave her a small shy smile and bobbed her head in gratitude as she murmured a quiet "thank you" before scurrying off. Li-Hua took a moment to lick her lips before replying, "I think so."

The stranger suddenly jolted, his emerald green eyes flashing with some unfathomable emotion as he turned to Li-Hua and Hak. "I'm afraid I must be going, now. Not very gentlemanly for me to be leaving a lady by her lonesome, but I have some other prearranged things to attend to." Dipping his head and taking Li-Hua's hand, the green haired man kissed it gently. Li-Hua resisted the urge to thwack him in the face. He purred, "It's been a pleasure."

"Sexual harassment," Hak moved to intervene between his friend and the green haired stranger grumpily, but the stranger had already removed himself from Li-Hua and jumped back several steps.

"I really _should_ go," the stranger muttered. "Until we meet again~"

As the man was about to head off, Li-Hua surprised herself as she stopped him. "Wait!" He stopped for a mere moment, but that was enough of an indication that he heard her speak. "Your name," she said haltingly, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. She clarified, "What's your name?"

He turned around, giving her a coy smile that almost took her off guard. "Jae-Ha, my dear! Remember it. And yours?"

"...Li-Hua." She gave out somewhat reluctantly as she shifted her gaze elsewhere.

"See you later Li!" He called over his shoulder as he...jumped (_how did he do that so fast?)_ and quickly disappeared.

Li-Hua turned back to Hak, sighing exasperatedly. He probably had been following her aimlessly, and judging by his uncertain, lingering behavior, he probably arrived in Awa recently and probably didn't know how to get back. "Okay, so where did you leave the Princess? I'll lead you back."

* * *

Li-Hua stopped in the middle of the road leading out of Awa, turning to Hak who had been following her silently the whole time. "This is as far as I'm going to go. If you need me, I'll be in the Lotus Inn for another three days or so before I head out of the Earth Tribe."

"Why don't you come and see Yona?" He asked, and she shook her head, sweeping her black locks behind her ear as she pinned her hair up with the dragon hairpins she had nearly killed Jae-Ha with before.

"I'll get too attached once I see her and will want to travel with you two," she admitted shamelessly. "I prefer my own way of doing things, as you probably already know. But if you ever need help, or information, I have a lot of connections spread out across the Kouka Kingdom." Li-Hua gave him a wry smile.

"But she'd like to see you, you know. We haven't since your disappearance two years ago."

Li-Hua flinched at the mention of her disappearance as she shrugged, rolling her shoulders back. "What do you say? I got tired of that life."

(_Lies, _she could feel her heart whisper. _You are lying. You aren't ready yet, but you miss them. You want to return.)_

"True enough," Hak allowed.

"Well, see you later, Hak." Her smile grew as she gave him a warm look. "It's been nice seeing you again. Tell Yona I said hi." And before he could do anything, much like when she had been with Soo-Won, she slipped out of his grasp as she took off back into Awa Port. "I get the feeling we'll see each other more often now."

And how right she was.

* * *

**A/N: Sigh. That's a wrap! Again, sorry for not updating sooner.**

**Yorukifon: She does have fighting experience, but I'm not going to reveal all of my cards at the beginning of the game. Mwahahaha... Thanks for reviewing~**

**NightlyRowenTree: This'll be a slow romance, don't you worry about that. I know exactly how you feel about those fast romance OC stories. (shudder) Thanks for reviewing!**

**RKamelot: Your review made me really happy~ I was worried about portraying Soo-Won considering his character's so complex, but you eased my worries. I'd guess that Soo-Won's soldiers can be arrogant at times, but that's why we have our idiotic king, right? And the Awa arc is awesome, and I was giggling the whole time while writing Jae-Ha's introduction. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Thank you for the kind reviews! They made me really happy. Also, thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/read. Your support gives me inspiration~**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Extra long chapter to make up for my absence? Haha...**

* * *

"The place where Kija and Shin-Ah sense Ryokuryuu is along the coast of this town. So he's not in the town, huh?" Yoon commented idly, shielding his face from the bright rays of the Sun as he peered down at where the ocean was. They were on the top of a large cliff that overlooked the harbor, and he could barely make out the shape of a few ships, their sails already mounted and hulls gliding through the water effortlessly.

"No fair," Yona pouted as Yoon nodded in assent as he said, "Right?"

Hak, however, was not too concerned about that at the moment. His mind flashed back to his encounter with Li-Hua and Jae-Ha the other day: he had not told Yona or anyone else of the encounters thus far. It would just bring unnecessary worry to his Princess and the rest of the group, and he intended to investigate it himself.

The droopy eyed bastard, despite Hak's original judgement, seemed strong. But at the same time, there was something _off_ about him that Hak felt he should look into more, especially his sudden disappearance when they had gotten out of danger. Not only that, but maybe he could figure out what exactly was going on in Awa if he found the green haired man again.

And the second unplanned appearance, Li-Hua. He still remembered her from his days in his childhood, and it seemed that the slightly apathetic and stingy side of her hadn't changed, along with the fact that she still was one to jump to conclusions (she had always insisted that Hak liked Yona more than a bodyguard, even though he had always denied it). But she had grown stronger, and he intended on finding out what had happened to her for the past few years after her mysterious disappearance.

He still remembered that incident like yesterday. It had been great news to all three of them: himself, Yona, and...Soo-Won. Although Hak loathed to even think of that liar's name, he could remember the traitor's crumbling facade after their raven haired friend's disappearance. Yona had been worried, severely worried afterwards for both Soo-Won and Li-Hua, and Hak took it upon himself to cheer his Princess up.

Hak mentally kicked himself for getting under the authorities' radar. It would put Yona in danger, and if there was one thing he never wanted to do it would be that. He glanced around their campsite at the top of the hill that overlooked Awa.

_It doesn't look like any officers will be here. It should be okay then, right?_

Before Hak could change his mind, he willed himself to speak as he slung a bag over his shoulder while keeping his weapon in hand. "There's something else I need to attend to for a bit."

And with that, the quiet raven haired man slunk off, ignoring the protests and whispers from his rambunctious group behind him. He could explain later, after investigating. His grip on his weapon tightened. He felt like he would need it, with the meeting he was planning on having.

* * *

Li-Hua was not surprised when she was awakened by the sound of knocking on her door. After meeting Hak and Jae-Ha yesterday, she had managed to find her way back to the inn and immediately fell into the fluffy pillow and beige covers of the bed without another thought. Luckily, she already unpacked before going into the hot springs yesterday, so she didn't need to do much. She yawned, slipping out of the covers as she stretched, calling, "One moment!"

She made her way to the door, peeking through the small hole that allowed her to see her guest to make sure it wasn't any authority before opening it by a fraction so she could talk. "Hak. How'd you know what room I was in?"

"Asked the receptionist." Hak shrugged, not at all bothered by the fact that she was still in her regular traditional Kai Empire clothes. "She gave me a suspicious look before hurrying me through, probably didn't want anything to do with me."

"Well, if you're brandishing _that_ weapon I wouldn't either," Li-Hua drawled as her eyes glanced at his Hsu Quandao. His preference of weapons still hadn't changed all this time either, she supposed, as she opened the door completely. "Come in, but make it quick."

Hak entered inside, and mentally he looked for every clue in the room to indicate more to his former friend's whereabouts and changes in personality. Most of the room was uniform and what was expected of an inn room, but there were a few things he could note.

The covers of the bed were still hastily thrown open, so he assumed he had woken her up and she was probably the same late riser as she was before. To his left, on the wooden desk, there was a map of the Kouka Kingdom with several marks made on it, suggesting that his friend was travelling around to places or had her next few destinations marked out. And finally, there were her two swords which were still sheathed and sitting primly on the bed, probably indicating that her combat ability was still up to par.

"What do you need? I suppose you didn't come to just talk." Li-Hua addressed him idly as she motioned for him to sit down on the bed, taking a seat in the spare chair.

"Where have you been? The Fire Tribe was in a panic when they discovered you had disappeared, you know. But they wouldn't tell any of the other tribes, including the Wind Tribe, any details. Kan Kyo-Ga seemed to blame himself over whatever happened." Hak remarked as he watched her subtly flinch.

"Places." She answered vaguely, not at all inclined to discuss her whereabouts as she changed the subject. "Why are you and Yona here?"

Hak debated for a moment on whether he could trust his old companion. Trust was now a delicate subject to him, especially after Soo-Won. She was an informant, who sold information for a living, although that wasn't her original occupation when he first met her. But despite that, Hak knew Li-Hua would never hurt Yona. And if she did, she'd have to answer to him. Li-Hua was smart enough not to risk that.

And so Hak indulged her about the legend of the four dragons and their group's adventures thus far, Li-Hua cackling and gasping every once in a while as he told their story. Eventually their time was up as she looked thoughtfully out at the window. The Sun was starting to make its way up to the sky, and her face turned serious. "Hak, right now I'm investigating this town, so I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

"Investigating?"

"Suspicious stuff," she answered shortly as she gestured towards the door. "Leave."

"Wait," Hak stopped her before she could usher him out of the door. "Do you know who is Hakyuuru in this town?"

"Well," Li-Hua tapped her finger on her chin as she thought back to yesterday. Judging from both common sense and what Hak told her about the so-called _Hakyuuru_ or Green Dragon, she could piece together the clues. Jae-Ha's green hair helped. "You tell me that the White Dragon has white hair and the Blue Dragon has blue hair, so it shouldn't be too hard to find someone with green hair." Seeing that Hak had not caught on yet, she added, "There was a pervert who claimed to have fallen from the sky into the women's hot springs that we happened to encounter again helping that woman."

Hak's eyes glinted as he turned to get out of the room, fully intent on finding Jae-Ha and dragging the man to Yona. "Thanks."

"Nope!" The girl grabbed onto the corner of his sleeve and held onto it with an iron grip so he couldn't move. The most unnerving thing about the movement was that Li-Hua was still smiling gently as Hak tried to move away with no avail. "All information costs, you know."

"I told you about our group. Isn't that enough?" Hak's voice was tight. Even though they _were_ childhood acquaintances, it had always somewhat annoyed and unnerved Hak whenever he was around the raven haired woman. Not only that, but with that deceptive kind smile on her face his mind slowly drifted towards Soo-W...the _traitor_. "Besides, weren't you the one who wanted me to leave a moment ago?"

"Things change. I want to tag along with you for today, so let me come." Li-Hua invited herself as she grabbed her swords, slung them over her shoulder, and grabbed a small coin purse just in case they needed to pay their way out of something. "Thanks."

"I never agreed to this…" Hak grumbled. He should have expected her to do something like this: Li-Hua had always been wishy-washy with her emotions, changing her mind easily from one moment to the next. There were few things that stayed the same with his companion, and the word _ephermal_ would fit her the best.

"Now you did," Li-Hua said promptly as her eyes flickered with some other kind of emotion for a second as she allowed herself to reminisce back to a time when they were younger. Soo-Won had decided to surprise Yona for her twelfth birthday and Li-Hua had happened to be in Fuuga at the time. The two had gone shopping, dragging along a more reluctant Hak, and gave Yona a special gift: a necklace, with a four leaf clover charm. While Soo-Won had claimed it was for good luck and Hak had claimed it was just a gift he thought might make her more feminine, Li-Hua had told her that it was to symbolize the four of them.

Each of them had some sort of clover accessory that matched Yona's bracelet, and Li-Hua knew for a fact that her clover pin was hidden somewhere deep in her luggage. She doubted that the other three were using them anymore, though.

A pang of some kind of emotion (loneliness? sadness? regret?) hit her but she quickly dismissed it. There was no use in dwelling in the past now.

They walked alongside each other down the port town in silence, every now and then stopping for them to inspect the weaponry on display. Li-Hua ran her fingers delicately against the shiny metal blade of a sword, admiring it silently. Whoever had made it put a lot of thought into it. The sword was well balanced, with a leather hilt that made it easier for the wielder to grasp it. The metal was a rare kind that probably came from the Water Tribe. She casted a glance to the right of her, where Hak was checking out a staff.

"See anything you like?" She asked him, and without a word the warrior walked off. Li-Hua huffed. _Men._ She reluctantly put down the sword she was examining, bowed to the shopkeeper who seemed a bit unnerved by Hak, and hurried after her companion. "Oi! Don't just abandon me!"

"A shame you figured out my intentions."

"How cruel." Li-Hua pouted, the expression looking somewhat unnatural on the usually apathetic woman's face. She quickly backtracked as her eyes caught something, and the sudden movement caught Hak's interest.

"What is it?" He walked back towards her as Li-Hua herself moved towards a brown wooden board with awed silence.

"Hak, we have wanted posters." Li-Hua fingered the messily drawn portrait of her, observing it critically. The nose was somewhat crooked, although her eyes were beautifully detailed which was probably because those were her most defining feature. Her hair had been drawn down, as she had kept it that day, and Li-Hua quickly worked to put her hair in a braid. Better to be safe than sorry, she supposed as she motioned for Hak to buy her a traveler's straw hat.

The raven haired man scowled, but did as she asked as Li-Hua couldn't help but crack a small grin at the even worse looking portraits of Hak and Jae-Ha. She was half tempted just to leave them up because of the sheer inaccuracy and hilariousness of it all, but ultimately ripped off the three wanted posters and shoved it into her bag, taking mindful care to make sure that no one had seen her do so.

Hak had returned, a yellow straw hat in hand as he gave it to her. "You owe me."

"I'm pretty sure I repaid that debt several times over back then." Li-Hua snorted. "I think that all of the Generals remember me as that one girl who always bailed you and the Princess out whenever you guys sneaked out or something." She left out Soo-Won's name on purpose, although it seemed as if that didn't help as Hak's face darkened at the reminder of the past.

"No, I think they remember you as the scary chick who wouldn't let anyone get close to Kang Kyo Ga," Hak said dryly.

"As you would the Princess, Hak." Li-Hua reminded gently as the man gave her a shrug, admitting silently that she had a point. She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes as a barrier from both seeing _and_ remembering.

"_I'll protect you, at least. I promise."_

Some help she had been. Li-Hua held back a derisive snort as she sighed, waving a hand towards Hak. "Hey, Hak, why don't we head somewhere else before we attract too much-" She suddenly realized that the man next to her was not listening as her golden eyes blinked, her neck craning to look at him. "Hak?"

Hak was staring transfixed at a certain green haired man standing in front of him. Jae-Ha brightened, recognizing the person he had just bumped into and his emerald green eyes flickered for just a moment to register Li-Hua's presence as well. "Ah, you two are the same from yesterday." Jae-Ha identified brightly, completely unaware of the dangerous aura starting to surround Hak.

"It was _him_ all along," Hak muttered.

"Eh? What's that?" Jae-Ha tilted his head innocently as Li-Hua sighed again, addressing Jae-Ha with apathetic eyes.

"Hak meant to say that he'd _love_ it if you joined us to have a cup of tea," Li-Hua said dryly as Hak shot her a look that obviously spelled he had just wanted to kidnap Jae-Ha and bring him to Yona.

"Yes, but I'd hate to intrude…" Jae-Ha sent a glance between the two non too subtly as both Hak and Li-Hua exchanged somewhat disturbed looks. They were warriors, they shared the same duty, but ultimately could be counted to be just 'friends'. The notion of a man and woman just being friends, however, was sorely scarce, especially whenever Li-Hua visited the palace. She'd say she was even closer to Soo-Won (or, she had thought she was) than the stoic bodyguard.

"You're not intruding," the two deadpanned in synchronization as Jae-Ha seemed to get even brighter, a sparkly (idiotic) aura quickly surrounding them.

"Then, I'll be intruding!" He said without remorse, continuing as he clasped his hands together with Li-Hua's, who quickly drew away. "I know just the right place to have a talk, although I'm not sure if the lovely Miss Li would agree to that." Jae-Ha peered over at the raven haired girl, who rolled her eyes.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Li-Hua blinked, taking in the gaudy appearances of the beautiful women who served them. Nearly all of them were clad in nothing but a low neck, short sexy black dress, and all wore heavy makeup that highlighted their astonishingly pale faces and plump red lips. They were sitting, cross legged on red cushions in what appeared to be a brothel, and several girls giggled as they spotted Li-Hua.

Her eyebrow twitched. A pretty looking girl clad in a sky blue kimono whispered something seductively in Jae-Ha's ear, to which the green haired man let out a healthy laugh and waved her off. "Perhaps a bit later. Some tea, for now please."

...both Hak and Li-Hua stared at Jae-Ha in utter disgust. "Pervert."

Jae-Ha shrugged, raising his hands up innocently as he commented leisurely, "Just enjoying life. And what's life without freedom and adventure?"

"What are we doing here during the _day?_" Hak asked incredulously, and Li-Hua nodded her sound agreement. During the night, it wasn't as bad because people couldn't identify who they were and thus their anonymity would keep their reputations safe, but walking into a brothel in plain daylight, especially with two men hanging on your arm...well, that was just _begging_ for attention.

"These kinds of places are easy to hide in." Jae-Ha answered. She supposed he had somewhat of a point: if you were on the run, no one would expect you to be enjoying things leisurely, nor do something as bold as Jae-Ha had just prompted them to do.

Then again, knowing the perverts in _this_ port town, she wouldn't put it past the officials to enter the brothel even while supposed to be on duty. The standards for being a warrior had dropped, she ruefully thought as her fingers twitched, itching to draw out her sword and just kill the lord of the town as soon as possible and get over it.

Li-Hua doubted anyone would stop her, sans the lord's officials who also benefitted. No civilian in their right mind would. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that she had missed part of Hak and Jae-Ha's conversation, mainly a dancing of words as each tried to find out more about the other. She refocused.

"I was born here!" Jae-Ha patted a hand on his chest, smiling as he gestured towards Li-Hua. "These clothes were imported from the Kai Empire, just like Li's clothes over there."

"I never allowed you to call me so informal," Li-Hua grumbled. "What, do you want me to call you Jae?"

"You can call me whatever you want," Jae-Ha said flirtatiously, leaning closer to the woman as she moved back, not at all affected by his airy words.

"Speaking of this town…" Hak started, and now Li-Hua's attention was completely caught as she fell silent, and although Jae-Ha looked a little disappointed by the lack of reaction he did the same as Hak continued, "It seems a little different. Upon first glance it seems normal, but the citizens have a bit of a dead look in their eyes. Is something going on?"

So he wanted to involve himself in _her_ investigation? Li-Hua raised her eyebrows, eyes sharpening as her mouth stretched into a small, confident smirk. Her movement was not unseen, and Hak caught her eye for a second before looking at Jae-Ha.

"...you're sharp." Jae-Ha's tone of voice had completely changed to a much more..._dark_ one. "Awa Port is completely run by a man named Yang Kum Ji. Everyone in the town lives in fear of him. He takes part of a horrific business that's kept a secret in this country."

"Horrific?" Hak prompted as Li-Hua drew in a sharp breath, her pulse quickening as she came to a realization of what exactly was going on in Awa. Sure, she had talked to the receptionist and Mei-Lin, but she was not prepared for the words that next came out of Jae-Ha's mouth.

"Human trafficking."

Her entire frame had stilled, muscles taut and teeth gritted as Li-Hua shut her eyes, regaining her composure completely as a complete facade of calm washed over her. She stood up suddenly, and both Jae-Ha and Hak looked up in surprise. She gave them a placating smile, which seemed to unnerve both men even more. "I have to go somewhere. An appointment. If you need me, you can find me.'' She slung her bag around her shoulder and peered outside of the open window. 10 feet: a safe distance.

She turned around, bowed, and said a quick, "See you," before literally jumping from the window and landing safely on the ground below, twisting and turning her body in midair with exceptional finesse before landing on her feet and taking off before either man could track her.

Li-Hua walked through the city, which seemed to have returned to life as people bustled about. The air was fresh, the smell of fresh bread wafted over faintly from the bakery that was down the road, and the marketplaces were abundant with both food and people. Everything was perfect.

She took in another deep breath and sighed contentedly. This kind of peace was what she loved and yearned for. No more battles, no more politics, and no more death. Perfect. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in just the _atmosphere_ and the feeling of living that was coursing through her veins as she stood there for a moment.

Li-Hua's delicately trained ears suddenly picked up some movement coming from far behind her, and she turned around to see that most of the people had scurried inside their houses or to the sides of the roads, cowering behind fruit stalls or such. Only she stood in front of the path of the steadily approaching hourse cart, decorated in multiple fabrics and jewlery.

It stopped in front of her. A man, escorted by two guards who looked suspicious of her, donned in expensive silk robes, looked furious for a moment before his eyes slid towards Li-Hua, and the previously furious expression melted into a calculating smirk.

"Who dares get in the way of the great Yang Kum Jin?" The soldier looking next to the lord still looked furious, but then his face melted into an expression of shock as he recognized Li-Hua's figure. "S-sir! This is the woman I told you of yesterday!"

"At your service," Li-Hua bowed shakily, her mind running a thousand miles an hour at how to get out of _this_ situation. Damn her impatience. Damn her past. Damn her cowardly fears that had resulted from those two years of absence. She waited until she could hear the lord's robe shuffle as he rose a hand, indicating for her to stand.

"Ah, the sly vixen was it?" The man's voice was as slick as oil as his raven orbs pierced through Li-Hua's very soul, although he was most transfixed on the rare shade of gold her eyes were. A smirk crawled on his face as he turned to his men and ordered, not even bothering to look at her. "I like her. Bring her back to the castle."

Li-Hua visibly stiffened.

Well…this was certainly not part of her plan.

* * *

**A/N: So...school's started for me so updates will be even slower lol but I'm trying my best for all my stories. Expect _Cup of Tea _and _Infinite Bloom_ updates coming up soon. I apologize in advance.**

**But anyways, plot~ And if you squint you can tell small details that have been changed with Li-Hua's presence (e.g. Hak bringing along his weapon, knowing Jae-Ha's name, knowing he's the Green Dragon, etc.). Did you spot them all? ;)**

**_Yorukifon: _Lol I know what you mean about the whole not wanting to log on phone thing. Hak and Jae-Ha are awesome, although I ship Yona/Hak too much to try shipping Li-Hua with him. :p  
**

_**ddmahan922:**_** Thank you for the compliments! I'm glad that you like my writing style, although I'm trying to improve a lot more. The characters are a whole lot of fun to write~**

_**xenocanaan:**_** I can't help but ship Soo-Won/Li-Hua too, something about the whole far away from each other yet trusting thing is just cool (blame the angst...). But at the same time the flirtier, lighter hearted Jae-Ha/Li-Hua's adorable too. And there will be darker moments for those two. Just not yet.**

**Drop by a review! They make me really happy.**

**Again, thanks for reviewing, reading, favoriting, and/or following! Your support helps me a lot!**

**Until next time~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I don't own Akatsuki no Yona.**

* * *

Li-Hua sometimes wondered what she had done wrong in her past life. Those kinds of ramblings usually were rare, but she had been finding that for the past month she had been pondering the idea quite often.

It did not help that a perverted lord was at the moment making her sit in his lap as they rode in the carriage, him murmuring soft words as Li-Hua firmly stared out of the window, the silk curtains having been mostly pushed back when Yang Kum Ji had noticed her interest in the scenery.

"Girl, you remind me of someone I had seen in the past." The man commented idly, and Li-Hua's attention was caught again as she briefly wondered what would happen if anyone found out that she was missing. She plastered on a sweet smile on her face (it was better not to cause too much of a fuss, she reasoned in her head).

"Oh, really? I'm flattered if I resemble someone who has caught _your_ attention, my lord." Li-Hua smirked coyly, leaning close to the man as his enamored gaze met hers.

"Yes, yes. Now...what was her name? The guard dog of the young Fire Tribe general's son...ah! That was what it was." The man snapped his fingers, looking fairly triumphant as his eyes slithered to look at her. "Her name was Li Hui Zhong. She looked like you, with such interesting golden eyes."

Li-Hua remained tense, not allowing the sound of her old name to stir any kind of emotion in her chest. She had abandoned it, along with the identity that had gone along with it. Just as she had abandoned the name _Li-Hua_ for so many years, only to once again pick up the name. It was her birth name, and she had a right to be proud of it.

"Golden eyes are quite an uncommon feature, now that I think of it," Yang Kum Ji said thoughtfully, glancing over to Li-Hua. She remained silent, a coy smile on her face, the only thing indicating her discomfort being the slight cold edge to her eyes.

"My lord," she said smoothly, "I'm afraid you are mistaken. I am but a humble novelist coming from the outskirts of Fuuga, Mei Zhou." The lie came out smoothly thanks to accumulated practice. That thought sort of disturbed her, so Li-Hua pushed it back as she continued to smile at the lord.

"True enough." The man seemed fairly convinced, a sneer forming on his face. "After all, that woman was too much of a proud person to bow to anyone but her master, and you're nothing but a lowly wh-" His eyes widened suddenly, stopping in mid sentence.

"I advise," Li-Hua said delicately, holding his hand with a firm grip that was a little too tight to be friendly, "That you choose your words wisely, my lord. Although I am a mere novelist, even the lowest of women deserve respect, no?" At the man's hasty nods, a cruel smile wormed its way on her face that Li-Hua couldn't hold back. She had found too often that men had underestimated her for her gender, and although she usually abhorred such people (Hak and Soo-Won, thankfully, were not among these people) Li-Hua sometimes used the fact to her best advantage.

_Smile prettily, and no man would ever think that you had defied him on purpose. A woman's weapons are her words, not her sword._ Her mother's voice chided in her head.

Li-Hua's smile turned a little grim.

Yang Kum Ji quickly recovered his composure, wondering how such a woman could unnerve him to the extent that she did. He dismissed the sudden surge of strength as Li-Hua smiled prettily at him, tilting her head with exceptional grace. There was no way such a beautiful woman could do something that could scare _him_, Yang Kum Ji, the overlord of Awa Port. Awa Port was one of the prime trading ports of Kouka Kingdom thanks to its location, and because of this he held considerable power for a lord. He must have been tired from observing the..._merchandise_ from last night. A _woman_, of all people, would not be able to deter him.

"So, my lord, where are you taking me?" Li-Hua asked suavely, batting her eyelashes at him.

"My palace, for now." The man observed her once again, muttering under his breath, "Such a shame to let such beauty be shipped off to a country of savages."

"I...see," Li-Hua said carefully, making sure to keep her temper in check.

She had trained for this. Li-Hua was not stupid enough to let this opportunity for information, no matter how dangerous, slip out of her hands just because she couldn't keep her anger concealed at the suggestion of her being sold as mere merchandise.

_Iron chains clanked against the ground, wrists finally free of the burden that was placed on them as weary, tired eyes looked up to see a horrified face. "Li...Hui Zhong?"_

She quieted down her thoughts. There was a time and place for all of that.

The lord pulled open the curtains that had been shading the carriage completely, a somewhat smug tone to his words. "You might be a novelist, girl, but I'm sure you've never been given as much inspiration as my home will."

Yang Kum Ji's home was a beautiful palace that only dimmed in comparison to the Royal Palace. Perhaps it was because Li-Hua had visited Yona's (former, if what Hak said was true) palace, but it wasn't as particularly impressive as she thought a lord's home must have looked like.

Giant pillars, painted a vibrant red, towered above them and met to form several arches that curved outwards in an Oriental way. Delicate, subtle carvings were carved into the marble decorations acting as a handrail for the stairs, and to her left Li-Hua could spot a pagoda that had to be at least four stories high. The sight of the luxurious palace would have been mind blowing to most commoners, but having spent most of her life around higher class people had conditioned her mind in a way that this was nearly nothing.

As she was observing the layout of the palace (after all, the information would come in handy later on when she made her escape), she was oblivious to the whispers of the soldiers and the lord beside her as they helped the man out of the carriage.

("_Investigate this woman_," Yang Kum Jin ordered softly. "She may prove to be useful. Find where she resided before and take whatever you see fit that will help us.")

The soldiers opened the doors, giving Li-Hua a wide berth after helping her out of a carriage. When they thought she and their lord wasn't looking, they sent her disgusted looks to which she returned behind Yang Kum Ji's back. This game went on for a little, with Li-Hua increasingly incensing the soldiers who could do nothing to retort back lest they get scolded by their master until Yang Kum Ji noticed one of his soldiers sending an evil glance towards Li-Hua's way.

"This woman is our _guest_ for the time being," Yang Kum Ji stressed, his eyes slitted like snakes as he gave his man a harsh look.

"Yes, sir. We apologize for our insolence." The man said obediently, a small trace of fear flashing through his eyes as he withheld a sneer at Li-Hua. She wasn't too surprised by the man's attitude: it seemed like a requirement that most of Yang Kum Ji's goonies had to be cruel, greedy people that didn't care about Awa Port's citizens. She had witnessed their cruelty first hand already when she, Hak, and Jae-Ha had rescued a woman from being taken by some of the lord's soldiers just because they found her attractive.

_Human lives shouldn't be treated that lightly. Especially not their freedom._ Li-Hua glowered. But instead of outwardly showing her displeasure, the woman instead sent a grateful glance towards the lord, fluttering her eyes innocently as she inwardly winced at the sudden predatory look in the lord's eyes as he turned to her, having seen the taunting glance she had sent his soldiers' way. It would take her a lot of sweet talking to get her out of this one.

* * *

"_Li-Hua's_ here?" Yona asked incredulously, her amethyst eyes widening nearly an inch as her hand gripped tighter on her hairpin. Behind her, Yoon, Kija, and Shin-Ah were looking up curiously at the rather unbalanced tone in the Princess's voice as her mouth widened. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Hak?"

The warrior shrugged uncomfortably. "You know how she is about her secrecy. She asked me not to, but I figured you should know since the events happening around this town are being investigated by her."

Yona did not reply. Her mind was racing, memories and questions tearing through her thoughts as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and calming down the fast beating of her heart. Li-Hua had disappeared two years ago while on an assignment, and two weeks after the assigned due date the Fire Tribe had sent out the news to the castle. Yona had been picking out clothes at the time because Soo-Won had been scheduled to arrive at the castle later in the day for his seventeenth birthday. Instead of the usual happy mood that swept around the palace whenever Soo-Won visited, he had arrived with a stone face, delivering the news of their friend's disappearance.

Yona had begged her father to send out soldiers at once to find the missing warrior, but after three months of searching they had given up and Li Hui Zhong, or Li-Hua as Yona knew her to be, was declared dead. Yona was devastated, refusing to come out of her room for a week while Soo-Won had simply devoted himself to playing _ougi_ with the castle physician. Only Hak, out of the three, had remained calm, instead pushing himself to the limit as he trained relentlessly every day.

They had mourned, and the incident was left unspoken around the castle. They had believed Li-Hua to be dead.

And now, Hak was suggesting otherwise.

"Li-Hua…" Yona's voice grew faint as the crimson haired princess slumped to the ground. Shin-Ah reached to steady her, but she gently pushed his hand away. In the background, Kija was talking to Hak, trying to figure out what they were talking about and what was making Yona upset, but Hak stayed tightlipped and unwilling to answer.

...she was _here._ Right in their reach.

That thought struck Yona like lightning, and her eyes hardened as she stood up, clearing her throat. Her amethyst eyes flashed daringly as she willed Hak to even try to reason with her. "Take me to her." Seeing his hesitant look, she added, "_Please_, Hak."

The bodyguard gave her a look before sighing defeatedly, bowing to her. "As you wish, Princess."

Hak led them through several alleyways, twists, and turns before finally stopping in front of an inn. Hak gave an acknowledging nod towards the old lady at the counter before turning to Yona. "This is it," Hak said, eyebrows raised. "Are you sure you want to meet her?"

"I'm sure, Hak. Thank you."

"We'll stay out here. It's the second room to the left of the corridor." Hak's voice left no room for arguing as even Kija fell silent. They stood in the lobby, Yoon awkwardly lounging around as he judged the cleanliness of the inn while Shin-Ah poked a curious looking flower in a pot.

As Hak watched his Princess-_the_ Princess, he corrected himself absentmindedly-the old lady moved closer to Hak. He raised his eyebrows as she motioned for him to lean closer.

"You're the young lad who was with that girl, yesterday. Correct?" The old lady whispered. Hak nodded, urging for her to continue. "...well, last night she didn't come back. Of course, it might just be that she's a young'un that wants to enjoy her youth, but what got me really suspecting was that today two soldiers came in asking for where her room was. Apparently she 'moved' to another inn because of the bad service, but I know the soldiers around her well enough to recognize them with or without their uniform."

Hak noted the woman's observations as his eyes narrowed. "Did you let them in?"

The old woman snorted. A slightly mischievous spark in her eyes gave her away, however as Hak acknowledged that the old lady must have been pretty healthy in her prime. "I let them into a travelling prostitute's room. Happened that there was some business going on there and the two ran out with red faces. Young people these days."

"Will you get in trouble for that?"

The old woman waved her hand dismissively. "They can't. My nephew's the son in law of one of Earth's other lords. Heavens forbid that he becomes as bad as Yang Kum Ji."

"You're quite bold, _obaa-san_." Most of the people he talked to would barely utter the tyrannical lord's name, although Jae-Ha was an exception.

"I'll take that as a compliment, young man." The woman glared at him warily as a lazy smirk resided on his face. "And I'm not _that_ old yet."

"Take it as you will."

Just then, there was the sound of a large crash from the direction of the rooms and all of the group jumped up, rushing to where Li-Hua's room was.

He opened the door roughly, surprised to see that it was unlocked because Li-Hua was rarely that unorganized and stepped inside.

The room was completely ransacked. Clothes, all from different parts of the world and different cultures, lay strewn around on the floor. The drawer had been knocked over, probably the source of the crash. The map that he had seen from his past visit had completely vanished, along with Li-Hua's suitcase. The bed sheets were hastily thrown on the ground, as if the intruder had been searching for anything Li-Hua could have hidden in the sheets although that was a long shot. Yona stood in the middle of the room, eyes horrified as she didn't speak even after he entered the room without her permission.

He could have assumed that the woman had run away again, like the coward she could be. Perhaps she wanted to live a life of freedom, without ties. But after the tip from the receptionist…

"Princess." His voice cut through the silence. "We need to find-"

"Ah, so that's where you went!" Jae-Ha strolled casually into the room, as if he had been with them the whole time as he gave them a small smirk, his eyes still drooped at a slight angle as he took in the scene with a strange look. "...what exactly happened here?"

"You," Hak growled as he moved closer to who he knew to be the Green Dragon. He was pleased to see the green haired man flinch ever the slightest at his anger."You left me at that brothel alone."

"The past's the past." Jae-Ha waved his hand dismissively as Yoon, Kija, Shin-Ah, and Hak stared at him incredulously. "So, have you considered my offer?"

Hak moved to decline, but before he did he was cut off by Yona.

"You're part of the pirates that we heard about earlier, correct?" Yona peered at Jae-Ha curiously as she stepped towards him, her feet careful not to trample over the rubbage as she straightened her posture, chin tilted confidently. "I wish to know how to help this town, and how to find my friend. Can you take us to your leader?"

Jae-Ha gave her a mysterious smile. "Perhaps. Are you bringing your companion over there?"

"If he assents." Yona didn't have to turn to look at Hak as the bodyguard gave her a slight tilt of her head, silently seething as he stared holes at Jae-Ha.

"...it's a deal, sweetheart."

* * *

**A/N: You can thank my little sister for nagging me to update so often for this slightly quicker update. Haha. Soooo the plot's moving slightly more quick than before, Li-Hua's screwed over, and I love to confuse myself by creating multiple identities for the same person. Cool. All will be revealed with time. Siiiiigh, I feel like I bit off more then I could handle with how the plot's going. (Zeno, my darling, is amazing, just saying~). I'm very tempted to make an OC!Yona that's reborn into the AnY world. Like, reeeaaally tempted but I know I shouldn't.**

**Sorry for the rant. Anyways, thank you for reading, favorite-ing, following, and reviewing! It always brightens my day when I see that someone likes my work.**

**Review please~**

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do not own Akatsuki no Yona.**

**Warning: Mild language, slightly suggestive themes.**

* * *

"Wake up, bitch."

Li-Hua started as she was forcibly thrown off of the rather cozy bed she had been given by Yang Kum Jin. She groaned, rubbing at her eyes as she looked up to see the faces of the two soldiers from yesterday.

"Hey, Jin-Zhi, doesn't she look pathetic? I don't even know why the lord favors this skinny slut." One of the soldiers, a young looking one who couldn't have been a day older than twenty five, sneered.

The other soldier, Jin-Zhi, scoffed. "She doesn't look like she'd sell for much anyways. Who in their right minds would buy a two-faced liar like her?"

The words hit her like a slap in the face, but her expression remained as cool as water as she smiled sweetly at them. "Get the hell out of my room. Your lord gave it to me-"

"Our _lord_ was the one who ordered us to get you. Heaven forbid that we ever come here to see _your_ face out of our own will."

Inwardly, Li-Hua cursed. She had hoped catching the attention of Yang Kum Jin would stop him from putting her on the slave route, but it wasn't enough. At least when they brought her to where the slaves were she'd be able to track the exact location of where the girls were being held. She briefly wondered if Hak had discovered her disappearance yet. The situation was fairly ironic: almost a complete repeat of two years ago, except this time she didn't try to fight back.

_Now is not the time._

She rose to her feet, giving them her strongest glare. "You interrupted my sleep." To her satisfaction, one of the soldiers flinched while the other, Jin-Zhi as he was called, stayed strong. Jin-Zhi seemed almost angry enough to slap her, but before he did his hand fell back to his side. He gave her a cruel smile, and the sudden change alerted Li-Hua that something was about to happen.

"Oh, trust me. You'll get a lot of sleep."

What happened next Li-Hua blamed entirely on the fact that she was sleepy. Or, at least, the more prideful and warrior side of her said so, but deep down she knew that she was just unprepared. The other soldier moved with the swiftness of a tiger, hitting the back of her neck as her gaze was focused on Jin-Zhi.

The force was almost an immediate knock out, and Li-Hua felt her eyelids grow heavy as she cursed again, her vision fading.

Damn her luck.

* * *

Her eyes opened and she faintly realized she was being carried by one of the soldiers. He opened the door to a dark room before tossing her body in it without any remorse.

Li-Hua fell against the wooden floor, landing with a sharp _thud_. Her head hit against the floor, and her vision was slightly tilted as her eyes darted up towards where she had been thrown out of. Behind her, the last source of light in the seemingly dark room closed, the sound of the door creaking being the only thing that permeated the silence.

She groaned, rolling over to her side while testing her throbbing head. It seemed like she was alright, albeit a little lightheaded, and she deemed herself healthy enough. Li-Hua propped herself up, feeling around with her hands for a little for the wall before leaning her back against it. As her vision readjusted to the sudden loss of light, she began to see the room more clearly.

"Are you alright?" Someone asked, the pitch high and unmistakably feminine.

Oh, how delightful. Yang Kum Jin had led her right to the base of his operations, and although she didn't get the chance to discover its location at least she knew that Li-Hua could do something about it when she was at the scene. Li-Hua mused, the line of logic somewhat disjointed but logical at the same time.

She turned to see several women, all with beautiful faces. The woman that had spoken to her had long black hair that cascaded down to her waist, and although her clothes were dirty and torn, Li-Hua could tell immediately that the girl must look beautiful in daylight. She gave a curt nod, wincing a little at the action as her head began throbbing more.

To her surprise, there weren't as many women as she expected. Perhaps she had been put on a different ship than most of the slaves, because there were only three other women in the dark room that she could discern. One of them was sitting in the middle of the room, her posture perfect and chin tilted confidently as she stared at Li-Hua. _A noble_, Li-Hua surmised, noticing the fine pearl pin that was lying in her lap.

There was another girl with long black hair tied into a ponytail leaning against the wall, her eyebrows raised as she watched Li-Hua. By the toned looking arms and subtle way her fingers twitched as if they wanted to hold a weapon, Li-Hua could conclude that the girl was a skilled warrior.

Finally, there was Mei-Lin, the girl that Li-Hua had met earlier when she had first encountered Jae-Ha. The petite girl was staring at Li-Hua with open mouthed shock, as if she hadn't expected to see the woman again. "M-Miss Li?"

She gave a nod of acknowledgement, putting a finger to her lips as she smiled. "The name, as far as Yang Kum Jin is concerned, is Mei Zhou right now."

Mei-Lin nodded warily in understanding.

"Why are you here?" Li-Hua asked, aptly changing the subject as Mei-Lin bit her lip. A sign of hesitation: whatever the girl was going to say must be bad, Li-Hua noted.

"I...um...well...I…" Mei-Lin fumbled with her words, trying to find what to say as her face screwed up tightly in concentration. She fiddled with her fingers as she looked down sheepishly. Her beautiful auburn hair fell down in waves to her side and slightly covered up her steadily heating face.

The warrior girl scowled, eyes narrowing at Mei-Lin. "Hurry up, will you? We don't have all day, you know."

"Actually, we kind of do," added the noble girl with a somewhat tittering motion, an amused smile flitting on her face despite the dreary truth of her statement. "After all, we're all just waiting here to be sold off like cattle. Everyone knows what that damned lord can do." Despite her apparent noble heritage, the girl did not seem the least concerned with her language.

"Surprised a dainty gal' like you has some guts." The warrior girl snorted. "Besides, I heard some gossip of over twenty girls disappearing over the past month. Where are they? I only entered that shop because my friend Yumi had disappeared when she applied for a job the other day."

"Shop?" Li-Hua questioned as all the girls turned to her, slightly surprised looks flashing on their faces.

"Yeah, shop." The warrior girl confirmed. "Princess here and I both tried out for a part time job at one of the shops downtown. They brought us into a dark room and the next thing you know it, we woke up here without any weapons on us."

"Ah, actually I was heading to your room, L-Mei. The innkeeper had given me the room number and I was walking over to talk with you when I stumbled across some soldiers sifting through your belongings." Mei-Lin admitted. "They brought me here."

"Probably because they wouldn't want a witness who could speak out against them," Li-Hua mused thoughtfully. If what Mei-Lin said was true, then it was sort of her fault that the gentle girl was here.

…

...

...well, wasn't that fantastic.

…

...

Li-Hua let out a frustrated breath. If they were ransacking her room, that meant that Yang Kum Jin was probably onto her identity. That was bad. Very bad. If the Fire Tribe heard-

Li-Hua stopped herself from thinking farther than that.

"I see…" Li-Hua murmured. Turning to the warrior girl, she inquired, "Do you know when they're going to be shipping us off?"  
The warrior girl shrugged, although the noble girl stepped up to answer. "It seems as if we are being given special treatment for various reasons," the woman said slowly. "If so, then we might not be sent with the other girls who have been captured."

Li-Hua shook her head doubtfully. "Then again, it's already expensive for Yang Kum Jin to send ships from Awa Port to the Kai Empire, not to mention too dangerous for a lone ship to be sent on its own."

"True," the noble girl assented, something akin to impressed acknowledgement in her eyes. "After all, there's a small group of pirates who are targeting his ships."

"Ah, them!" Mei-Lin's eyes lit up as she nearly swooned, a lovestruck look on her face. "I heard that there's a handsome man who can jump from boat to boat with just one jump. Doesn't that just sound amazing?"

_Jump?_ Li-Hua's head tilted slightly as she turned to Mei-Lin, asking bluntly, "Do you really think that _he's_ handsome? After all, you've never met these so-called 'handsome' pirates. For all we know, they can be completely hideous."

(As he watched Yona head down the cliff with a clenching chest, Jae-Ha sneezed for some reason. He blinked surprisedly for a moment before shrugging confidently, a smirk on his face. "Probably someone talking about how _beautiful_ I am~")  
"True enough." Mei-Lin looked childishly disappointed as she let out a pouty breath, and even the noble girl had to let out a chuckle at the adorable expression on her face. Then, the auburn haired girl brightened, clapping her hands together excitedly. Her face was flushed with happiness as she asked brightly, "Ah, before I forget, what are your two names?"

"Sei-Yeong." The warrior girl answered as at the same time the noble girl replied instantaneously, "Ai-Shun."

"Well then...Sei-Yeong, Ai-Shun, and Mei-Lin, we're going to have to work together." Li-Hua said, a smirk tugging at her lips as she leaned back satisfactedly.

"W-why?" Mei-Lin asked.

"Because we're going to stop Yang Kum Jin."

* * *

"E-excuse me," a meek male voice said, and all four girls who had previously been lounging about snapped back up into attention as the door opened and someone stepped in. Before Li-Hua could move the door was slammed shut by soldiers from the outside, and they were left with the boy standing in the middle of the room.

He had light brown hair and blue eyes, with a sweet smile on his face that instantly reminded Li-Hua of Mei-Lin. "My name is-"

"We don't care what your name is," Sei-Yeong, the warrior girl, said rudely as she crossed her legs. "Now tell us why your precious _lord_ sent you here and get out."

"A-actually, I was sent here to attend to your personal needs because you all are special...for various reasons."

Li-Hua studied the boy. Unlike the other soldiers of Yang Kum Jin that she had seen, he was much more timid and had a sort of shy school boy look to him. Yang Kum Jin had probably sent him to watch them to see if he could trust him. From the way that his hands shook slightly while Sei-Yeong glared at him was enough to tell her that he was not a born warrior.

He wasn't going to be much of a problem. If any, Li-Hua was pretty sure she could manipulate this boy to her own advantage if she wanted to using just her words alone.

"I see, then. Thank you," Li-Hua said diplomatically as even Ai-Shun, the noble girl, looked somewhat surprised at her sudden polite tone.

"Y-yes. I'll be staying with you all until the ship sails."

Seeing her opportunity, Li-Hua leaped at the chance and asked quickly, "When _is_ the boat setting sail?" Seeing the boy's hesitant look, she made sure to keep an innocent smile on her face as she added, "It's not like we can do anything in here. I was just curious, after all, it _is_ quite boring staying in here."

The boy sent her a strange look, but answered quietly, "In three days from now."

"Thank you." Li-Hua gave the boy a mainly genuine, warm smile as the boy blushed, fiddling with his fingers as he muttered that it wasn't a big deal.

She supposed that her situation could have been worse.

* * *

"Now that I think of it, why _are_ you all here?" Li-Hua asked curiously as Mei-Lin perked up at the interesting subject. "I know Mei-Lin is probably here just because she saw my room being ransacked."

"If we tell you why we're here, would you tell us?" Sei-Yeong challenged, and Li-Hua fell silent.

Ai-Shun, the noble girl, was much less perturbed as she revealed, "My father was supposed to be the rightful lord of Awa when he went missing at sea. Yang Kum Jin, my uncle, took over. However he feared that my older brother would take his position from him and tried to silence him. When my brother resisted, I was taken."

All of the girls fell silent as the boy looked away from Ai-Shun's apathetic eyes. He was one of Yang Kum Jin's soldiers, and even though he worked for the man it didn't necessarily mean he agreed with his lord's tactics. If his sister wasn't sick and needed the help of Yang Kum Jin, he would never had joined the army even with the moderately high pay.

Li-Hua was quite aware of the boy's indecision as her golden eyes watched the soldier cautiously. He was too pure for these kinds of things, she thought bitterly. However, Ai-Shun's speech gave her an idea. Turning to the upsurted noble, she asked, "Do you know what your brother is doing now?"

If they were able to successfully overthrow Yang Kum Jin, then Awa would be lordless. Li-Hua knew how bad a loss leadership could be for any sort of group, and if Ai-Shun's brother took over after, then she wouldn't have to worry. Of course, Li-Hua couldn't say all of this out loud in front of the boy soldier, but Ai-Shun seemed to understand the general message.

"I believe that my brother, being the worrier he is, could even alert the new king about our unfortunate circumstances given the chance. He takes care of me very well."

Li-Hua flinched at the mention of Soo-Won and shivered. If he was in Awa and met Hak...well, Li-Hua could kiss goodbye to the peacefulness of the sea port. Then again, she was sure Yona could reign her bodyguard in.

Yona...Li-Hua's thoughts drifted. The Yona she remembered was a slight spoiled, deprived girl with few friends and the brightest smiles on her face whenever she saw Li-Hua.

_"The Princess has changed, Li-Hua. She's stronger, with more resolve. But now she's seen the world."_

...why was it that nothing in her life could remain unchanged? Even Hak, with his hate for his former best friend.

_"He betrayed us, Li-Hua."_

_"Did he really?"_

Soo-Won was a mystery to her. He was kind and accepting, but even she had noticed the slight cracks in his mask. The more calculative, darker side of him. The only reason she had not been ignorant to Soo-Won's darker side was because she had one as well.

Hak and Yona were straightforward and honest. She and Soo-Won, however, held the face of a liar and accepted that. Life wasn't perfect and she couldn't wear her heart on her sleeve like she used too, Li-Hua reminded herself.

Soo-Won had once told her something when he had given her the set of dragon hairpins that she wore nearly everyday in her hair. Li-Hua closed her eyes, thinking back to that day.

* * *

_"Li! Hey, wait up, Li!"_

_She turned around to see a smiling Yona, slightly exasperated Soo-Won, and reluctant Hak run over to her. The red haired Princess looked slightly put out as she said, "You never told us today was your birthday. I had to find out from Soo-Won! Why didn't you tell us? I could've gotten you a present!"_

_"Bodyguards shouldn't receive presents from princesses, Yona-hime." Li-Hua answered, casting a curious glance towards Soo-Won. She had never told the blonde haired boy about her birthday._

_"The Fire Tribe's general mentioned it in passing to my father," Soo-Won answered, seeing the question in her eyes. "He said that you would be a good bodyguard once his son becomes the new General."_

_A genuine smile split across Li-Hua's face as she murmured a quick thanks, ducking her head embarrassedly as her black bangs covered her slightly red face. The stoic general rarely gave out praise, and she knew that very well._

_Soo-Won shifted the weight of his body to his left foot as he looked away shyly. "Um, so I got you a present."_

_Li-Hua blinked in slight amazement. The fact slowly sunk in as her jaw dropped and she stammered, "W-what?"_

_"Soo-Won got you a present!" Yona beamed as Hak sighed._

_"He took me along too because he couldn't figure out what he wanted to get you, so you'd better take it so my effort doesn't go to waste."_

_A cheeky smile rose to Li-Hua's face as she knew that was just how Hak showed he cared as she nudged him. "But you didn't have to, right?"_

_"...yeah."_

_"So..." Soo-Won fiddled with something behind his back as he glanced at Hak pleadingly. The warrior, understanding his friend's silent distress literally picked up Yona and began carrying her away, the red head Princess protesting about how she wanted to see what it was._

_Finally alone, the two settled into a somewhat comfortable silence. They stood like that for a moment before Soo-Won handed something to her, looking like it was physically painful for him to be acting so unsuave and unlike himself. Only Li-Hua got to see this more awkward side of him, and something about that made her smile._

_She opened the box, peering inside before her eyes widened. Li-Hua pulled out several golden hairpins, all with beautiful dragons engraved in them. She waited for Soo-Won to explain: nothing he did had no meaning to it._

_"We once talked about how strange it was that despite our social class differences, the four of us became friends. Do you remember?"_

_She nodded._

_"Then we started talking about how things could be different. I asked you what your wish was, and you asked for mine. And we both replied..."_

_"Power," the two finished with a laugh, ruefully shaking their heads. Not peace, nor freedom, nor anything else they could have chosen. They both wanted power. The power to change the world._

_"Dragons..." Soo-Won continued, his eyes somewhere far away. "My father told me that dragons symbolize power. Dragons can create, but also in essence dragons can destroy."_

_"They also," Li-Hua added quietly, "Can protect."_

_He searched for something in her face before his shoulders slumped and Soo-Won gave her a small smile. "Yes, they can."_

_The two began walking down the hallways to find Yona and Hak, who could probably be located very easily with Yona's bright red hair and screeching towards Hak. __Just before they turned the corner to meet up with their other two friends, she said quietly, "Thanks."_

_"You're welcome."_

_They were both smiling._

* * *

"The world has changed," Li-Hua whispered to herself, ghostly laughter ringing in her ears as the memory faded. "And as it changes, so must I."

They were setting sail the next night.

* * *

**A/N: Le gasp. Another update? What has become of our lazy author? (Again, blame my sister for her nagging. Or thank her. Whatever. Also, you can thank yourselves for being so awesome.) Really quickly, I'm going to reply to reviews:**

**_RyuSayuri_: Thank you so much for all of the encouragement! :) I know that sounds like I've said it a thousand times, but I got really happy when I read your review and totally jumped around for a little because I'm an idiot. It's true that there's a sore lack of OC stories in the AnY fandom, and I'm trying to remedy that. Jae-Ha and Soo-Won are my favorite characters too, although I can't really decide in a particular order. Yoon's also one of my favorites, although we haven't seen much of him recently. Idk how the love triangle is going to go. Seriously. Like, depends on how it works and the writing just writes itself (I did not intend for the fluffy flashback to happen...). (I might even put up a poll eventually when the story gets longer.)**

_**Ita-chan18: **_**I love you. Seriously. Like, reviewing all four chapters? I thought I was the only one who did that for a story. So _thaaaank you_. I do aim to make this following canon while slightly screwing up some parts, and because I'm also sort of a lazy ass I make Li-Hua go on her own expeditions while making up somewhat compliant to canon facts and people like Ai-Shun. You also caught a typo for me, so thanks. :) Hakyona is going to probably be somehow slipped into here, although I like subtle hints more so you'd have to squint to see it.**

_**ddmahan922: **_**Thank you for reviewing! Li-Hua is a really interesting character to write for me just because she's pretty suave unlike myself, the kind of person who trips on air. Although Li-Hua considers her words as her weapons right now, she definitely will have her creepy _smile-go-to-hell_ moments. :) Sometimes I feel like she's a mixture of Soo-Won, Jae-Ha, and Hak lol.**

_**Roxanne Tacogirl: **_**I'm glad that my story makes you happy~ :) (Love your profile picture, by the way.) Li-Hua will indeed meet them on a ship...just not the ship Yona and Yoon are on because I have some stuff in mind. Of course, I'm kind of pushing canon with the whole VIP treatment but special merchandise must be taken care of in the eyes of Yang Kum Jin, or at least in my mind. I honestly can come up with thousands of scenarios of how they can meet and frankly fangirl over my own story so that's kinda sad...feel free to leave ideas if you want to~ A lot of times someone mentions something more interesting than what I'm planning.**

**Thank you so much for all the kind reviews! And also a big thanks to all of the followers, favorite-ers, and readers of this story. It gives me a lot of encouragement to write~**

**Plot ahead, and I'm going to end this long author's note here. Review~**

**Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Longest chapter yet at 5,171 words. You're welcome. Enjoy.**

* * *

The plan was fairly simple. Somehow, between the span of three days that the soldier boy was with them, they'd have to either incapacitate or convince him to help them. Mei-Lin would 'collapse', and Ai-Shun would plead for the guards to open the door and help her. Then, Li-Hua and Sei-Yeong would knock out the guards.

The two warriors shared a glance before giving a nod.

Li-Hua was betting on the fact that the rumored pirates would strike the night the ships set sail. It was too much of a golden opportunity for them to miss: multiple ships, how many Li-Hua did not really know, filled with kidnapped girls. If they brought the attention of the royal throne (_don't think about Soo-Won_) to the lord's misconduct, the testimonies of the girls would be incriminating evidence enough. Not to mention that if Ai-Shun's brother had alerted the Emperor, Li-Hua knew that he would be the kind of person to come out himself and observe the mess.

Then again, Li-Hua sort of hoped that someone killed Yang Kum Jin. Not because she wanted that _disgusting, vile_ man to be gone, but it would be a symbol of hope to the people of Awa Port. They had been oppressed by such tyranny for so long that as long as the lord was alive, they'd be nervous and untrusting. Soo-Won would turn a blind eye to it, she was sure. And no one would protest the lack of enforcement for Yang Kum Jin's killers.

"It's quiet," Li-Hua commented dully. "How long have we been in here?"

"...3 days, miss," the boy answered when seeing that none of the other girls would or even knew.

Today was the day they were scheduled to set off. Probably during the evening, considering that bringing a fleet of illegal ships to another country and broad daylight was just begging to be caught.

"Just call me Li-Hua. By the time this is over, i wont be important enough to even be called 'miss'." She shrugged nonchalantly, watching out of the corner of her eye as she saw the boy flinch. Interesting. She could use this. "Why did you sign up to be part of Yang Kum Jin's army? You seem...too _nice_ for that kind of thing."

"M-my sister." The boy glanced around to see if any of the other soldiers were listening, but it seemed like the soldiers outside of the door were guffawing about some joke. "S-she's sick. And if I don't get the medicine…"

He left the thought unfinished, although he had given enough for everyone to infer what he was implying.

"And you can't get it anywhere else?" Li-Hua pressed, and Ai-Shun looked up subtly as she realized what the woman was doing.

"No. Lord Yang Kum Jin is the one who gets priority and immediate access to any goods imported here, and because of that the medicine can only be accessed by him. He said that if I stay in his service for three years, then my sister would be taken care of."

Ai-Shun and Li-Hua exchanged glances and Li-Hua gave a tilt of her head, allowing the noble girl to speak. "And where is your sister now?" Ai-Shun asked, her blue eyes flickering thoughtfully.

"She's staying with Lord Yang Kum Jin," the boy soldier said, eyes looking slightly confused as if it was obvious. Li-Hua nodded at this, making sure the man saw the motion. Nodding, she recalled, helped the speaker feel like their audience wanted them to continue talking.

"If, just supposing, you could get the medicine your sister needed before those three years of servitude were over, would you quit?" Li-Hua asked casually, wanting to look away although she kept her gaze level and fixed on the boy's face.

"What are you implying?" The boy, when his sister was brought up, seemed slightly sharper in his movements as he asked the black haired woman to confirm what he thought she was insinuating.

"Suppose, just suppose, that I happen to be a close...acquaintance of the Emperor, whose authority overrules that of Yang Kum Jin. Who could grant freedom and hope to this city. Who could change the _world_." Li-Hua closed her eyes, smiling to herself. _This was what you wanted, wasn't it Soo-Won? The power to create change. _She opened her eyes and continued, "Would you still stay in the servitude of Yang Kum Jin?"

There was a permeating silence as even Mei-Lin looked over at Li-Hua in faint surprise. Of course, the woman could be bluffing to the male soldier. It might have been cruel, but Mei-Lin sincerely doubted that her companion was close to the Emperor. After all, from what she'd seen Li-Hua was a born liar, or so to speak.

But the look in Li-Hua's eyes when she had mentioned the Emperor…

Something about it was both wistful and hateful at the same time. The look in her eyes was one that Mei-Lin often saw in the battle hardened retired warriors, who had seen too much in battle to go back to happy times.

Mei-Lin chose not to point out to her companion that getting an _Emperor_ to come down just to see their city was near to impossible.

"I would...I would..." The boy hesitated, but something in Li-Hua's eyes made him continue. "I would quit, and leave before they punished my sister and I for desertion."

The boy was so painfully oblivious to be revealing this to his enemies, Li-Hua reflected wistfully. She sort of wished that she could say the same for herself. The real world had changed her, shaped her into something she didn't quite recognize.

But...she knew the need to protect a sister. After all, she had felt the same thing, hadn't she?

That thought left her uncomfortable, but the sincerity in the boy soldier's face made her press forward and continue to talk.

"Interesting," she said thoughtfully as a smirk crawled on her face. Li-Hua tilted her head, golden eyes flashing as she shared a look with the rest of her conspirators. She would bring him into the plan.

The ship lurched at that moment, signalling its departure. Convenient timing, she thought to herself as she licked her lips, preparing to speak.

* * *

Xi-Leu laughed at a comment that his fellow soldier said, his eyes flickering over to the strangely quiet prisoner room. He didn't really understand why Yang Kum Jin wanted their best warriors to guard a bunch of _girls_, but he didn't really care. As long as he got paid, and got women, he was happy with life. Wasn't that what every man wanted?

"And after, she couldn't even look me in the face." The other soldier guffawed loudly, not looking bothered at all by the lack of noise in the prisoner room.

"Do you think they're being a bit too quiet?" Xi-Leu cut in before his comrade started yet another story about his numerous escapades with women.

The soldier looked at him curiously before looking at the door and muttering, "Tch." Turning to Xi-Leu, he said, "Doesn't matter as long as we get paid."

At that very moment a scream sounded inside the prisoner room, startling both soldiers. Xi-Leu moved quickly, knocking on the door and gruffly asking, "Is something going on in there?"

There was no answer, and that left both soldiers nervous as they exchanged glances. Their lord had not informed them of what to do if something like this happened, but then again they _were_ some of the strongest and most reliable soldiers in Yang Kum Jin's servitude. They should be able to handle whatever that happened.

Finally, Xi-Leu knocked again, asking the same thing. This time there was an answer, probably from the attractive looking woman with the expensive hairpin. Xi-Leu didn't bother to learn her name, although by her pleads he could definitely tell that it was the girl's voice. "One of the girls has collapsed! I don't know what's wrong with her, but please help!"

Yang Kum Jin had left them with the job of guarding the door, saying only a few instructions: "_Don't let them out, and keep them safe until we arrive. Damaged merchandise is worthless merchandise."_

It would be on _them_ if one of the girls died during the trip. Xi-Leu scowled at this inconvenience, but he opened the door, saying, "If this is a prank, I'm going to-"

He was cut off by the pearl hairpin almost cutting his neck. His eyes swerved in shock as he saw the girl with the amber eyes smirk at him, looking like a panther who had just spotted its prey. Yang Kum Jin had intentionally had them strip her of all her objects minus the bare necessities, so why?

Xi-Leu remembered that they had only taken the weapons of the black haired girl and amber eyed girl, and left the noble girl and cute girl untouched. The realization hit him as he turned to see the noble girl hairpin-less, and holding the auburn haired girl's prone body. The new boy soldier was not moving to help. _Traitor,_ his mind whispered.

"Take this!" A battle cry sounded from the black haired girl, and behind him he heard his fellow soldier fall with a thud. Xi-Leu would have rushed out there, but something about the predatory look in the golden eyes of the other girl left him frozen.

Slender, though calloused, hands wrapped around his neck and he felt himself drift into unconsciousness.

He never learned their names.

* * *

"Well, that's finished." Li-Hua wiped her hands on her dress, dusting them off as she let Ai-Shun and Sei-Yeong drag the soldiers' unconscious bodies into the room. The bodies would be discovered eventually, although she wasn't too worried about that. According to the boy soldier, those two were rarely bothered by the other soldiers because they were too intimidating.

At that thought, she couldn't help snorting derisively. Intimidating? Not in the slightest.

Li-Hua wished she had her swords with her. Their steady presence was something that she relied on, and without the familiar weight on her back she felt strangely vulnerable. But she had left them in her room, and if Mei-Lin's story was anything to go by she was sure Yang Kum Jin must have her weapons with her.

She would get them back, Li-Hua vowed to herself. They were the first gift that her charge had given her, and they held both monetary and sentimental value.

The boy soldier had told them that they were situated in the same boat as Yang Kum Jin. That piece of information was _crucial,_ not to mention convenient. But at the same time, this meant that their situation was more dangerous: there was bound to be a larger amount and more skillful men on this ship.

Li-Hua turned to the small group that she was leading. "I won't think any less of any of you if you turn back and stay in that room until we get you. I'm fairly confident that given certain circumstances I can make it through alone." That was a giant lie, and they all knew it. One man, or woman in this case, could not take on a shipload of people unless they truly were a monster. Mei-Lin and the boy soldier, the two most hesitant of them all, exchanged glances before the boy soldier moved up a step.

"It's okay, Li," Mei-Lin said quietly.

"We trust you," the boy soldier said confidently, and Li-Hua wondered what exactly the two saw in her to continue to follow her lead. She was hardly leader material, preferring to defer to others the right to make decisions. There was a lesser chance of being blamed if you weren't in charge, and being in charge left too much pressure on her for her liking.

...yet, they trusted her so.

A small feeling of pride blossomed within her, although she squished it and pushed it back. It was no time to be sentimental. Even so, she sent the boy soldier her first genuine smile that Li-Hua had given him. The boy looked struck, and even Li-Hua herself was unaware of the way her features softened when she truly smiled. "Thank you, both of you," Li-Hua said. Turning to Sei-Yeong and Ai-Shun, she raised an eyebrow.

The warrior girl scoffed. "I'm coming whether you like it or not. My friend Yumi's somewhere on one of the other ships, and I'm going to find her."

"I trust that you will keep us safe," Ai-Shun said delicately, although her features were warm as she gave Li-Hua a nod.

Struck by a thought, Li-Hua veered around and walked back into the room, stripping the men of their swords and tossing one of them to Sei-Yeong. The warrior girl was the only other person experienced in battle rather than Li-Hua, which meant the two of them had to somehow singlehandedly defeat Yang Kum Jin and his men, rescue the other women, and protect Ai-Shun and Mei-Lin. The boy soldier, luckily, also had a weapon for himself he must have been armed with beforehand.

...well, she had been through worse. She shrugged in her mind. The group began making their way through the long hallway that led to a stairway which would bring them above deck. Yang Kum Jin would be located somewhere in his main cabin on the top deck. Li-Hua's mind was in full alert: it was too quiet for her taste at the moment.

_Very_ quiet.

She tested the first wooden stair by slowly lowering her foot on it. Gingerly, Li-Hua's brown boot touched the wood and when she heard no creak, she began making her way up the steps. Pausing for a moment to motion for the rest of the group to follow her lead, she led the group up the stairway and into the light.

...or at least, the night air. It was not morning anymore, and Li-Hua felt slight trepidation when she spotted a group of five soldiers on the deck. Sweat ran down the back of her neck as she roughly pushed Mei-Lin and Ai-Shun behind her, Sei-Yeong and the boy soldier moving to stand beside her and shield the other girls.

One of the soldiers that was facing her direction finally noticed her, and quickly alerted his friends which turned around as well.

The main deck had turned into chaos.

Li-Hua lept, narrowly dodging a knife that almost embedded itself in her heart (_really, what had happened to self restraint against women?_). The soldiers on the deck must have been alerted by Yang Kum Jin to be on the look out for suspicious people on the deck, because they didn't hesitate to go into formation.

The black haired women spun around, parrying a strike with the sword she had stolen from one of the soldiers they had knocked unconscious as she kicked a barrel backwards, knocking down one of the men who was drawing near Mei-Lin and Ai-Shun. Behind her, the sounds of sword against sword echoed as vibrations made the floor of the ship tremble.

The boy soldier's sword had been knocked out of his hand, and he was being pinned down by another soldier when Li-Hua literally threw her sword in his direction, allowing for her ally to grasp onto the weapon and push back his attacker. However, in her own distraction the soldier she was facing managed to make a clean slice on her back.

She hissed in pain before retaliating, catching the soldier's arm before he got the chance to strike again and twisting it behind his back at an unnatural angle. The man yelped, dropping his sword as Li-Hua released her hold, allowing him to nurse his throbbing hand with a heated glare towards the woman. She casually stomped her foot on the hilt of the sword with enough force for it to flip around and fly into her awaiting hand.

Li-Hua smirked, now armed again as she made a derisitive motion towards the soldier. _Come on, want to try me?_

The man roared, enraged, and Li-Hua delighted in the raw anger in his cry as she watched him charge at her barehanded.

_Fool._

It was still a hundred years too early for a mere footsoldier to challenge _her_. Li-Hua glowered as her hand struck out as fast as lightning, twisting his arm again as this time she allowed her body to bend as she flipped the soldier over, pinning him to the ground with a blade at his throat.

"Do you surrender?" Her voice was slightly hoarse, but the roughness of it seemed to add to the seriousness of the situation. Li-Hua's golden eyes glinted challengingly.

He spat at her. "Bitch."

"Suit yourself." She shrugged, preparing to lower the sword before something stopped her.

…

...or, more like _someone_.

"Now, I think that's enough," Jae-Ha said cheerfully, and although his face was smiling, his tone was steely. "We wouldn't want a pretty lady such as yourself to have her hands stained."

Li-Hua let the compliment roll off her shoulders as she commented dryly, "They already are."

Jae-Ha ignored her jibe as he continued, "Besides, the battle's almost won already."

At this, Li-Hua blinked as she realized that sometime between the beginning of their battle, other battles had erupted on the other ships. The sounds of metal against metal and warcries were all around her, although she had been too caught up with her own battle to notice. "How?" The question slipped out of her mouth.

"Another beautiful young lady helped us out, a companion of the man we were with earlier. Yona, she called herself." Jae-Ha's smile was suspiciously smug as Li-Hua flinched.

Yona? That kind, painfully naive princess had helped what could be considered a revolt? Li-Hua threw her head up into the cold night air as she laughed, taking Jae-Ha slightly off guard judging by the slight widening of his emerald eyes. Finding her eyes slightly wet, she murmured, "Oh, how the world changes."

"It does," Jae-Ha confirmed.

Even though Li-Hua could have stood there, somewhat content in the green haired man's presence, a sound behind them made both battle-hardened warriors turn.

"D-don't move unless you want her to die," a soldier, who was around Li-Hua's age at approximatley 22, stammered as he held his weapon to Ai-Shun's neck.

Li-Hua and Jae-Ha exchanged dry glances, for once in seemingly agreement as they sighed simultaneously. Villains would be villains, but did they always have to choose the attractive women? Jae-Ha thought to himself wistfully as he prepared to send the man to a quick de-sleep. Li-Hua was thinking among the same lines, although she knew that to attack the man with her sword she would have to close in the distance some more.

Li-Hua and Jae-Ha moved in tandem, her charging from the left side and Jae-Ha from the right when the hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she turned just in time to see a soldier (_she forget there was five, damn her stupidity_) rush towards her, knife in hand. Jae-Ha must have realized it too, for he reached a hand out to stop the attack with an alarmed, panicked expression (for _her?_) on his face but _hewasn'tgoingtobefastenough_-

_"Miss Li, look out!"_

There was a terrible, horrifying moment of silence as Li-Hua's pupils dilated, time stopping as she saw _redredredredred-_-

.

The world sped up again, and she nearly dropped her weapon as she rushed to the boy soldier's side, punching the other soldier with the full extent of her power as he went flying off the deck and into the ocean. But that was unimportant.

The world was somewhat surreal as she stared at the kind, gentle, _young_ face that was slowly losing its life because of _her_. He was going to die because of _her_. Her breath quickened as she tried to steady her heart, pressing her hand against the boy's as she willed for him to live.

"You can't die," she whispered desperately, and briefly Li-Hua wondered why she was so panicked about this death. She was not a stranger to death, and yet this man's-_boy's_ death was seemingly throwing her off her edge. Li-Hua didn't have to look behind her to know that Jae-Ha must have rescued Ai-Shun, and she felt his presence steadily standing and protecting her back.

The boy soldier smiled, his sharp features softening as his clear blue eyes stared up into her gold. "Please….don't look like that." His hand gripped hers as his gaze refused to look away. His hand touched her cheek, and faintly Li-Hua realized she was trembling.

"Please...watch over my sister for me? S-see that...she is taken care of. P-please." The boy coughed, hacking up blood as he continued weakly. "She's p-probably waiting for me back home. Always w-worrying about me…"

His focus seemed to drift for a little. "First my brother, and now me. I b-broke my promise to her, didn't I? I promised...I promised I wouldn't die."

Li-Hua's head dipped, answering in response to his request, "I'll make sure she'll be alright."

She was awarded a bright smile as he murmured, "Thank you."

"I-is there anything else I can do for you?" Li-Hua gripped his hand a little tighter, as she pursed her lips and prayed. _Please, please let me be able to make a difference for once. I couldn't save him, but surely…._

"Just one." He gave her another weak smile as she leaned in closer, making sure to hear his whisper. "_My name_."

"Name?"

"It's Shu-Zan. Remember it, Zhong."

His eyes closed as Li-Hua's frame remained unnaturally still.

"_Hey, hey, Li-sempai! Guess what? My family can finally move out of the Fire Tribe. That means that my baby brother and sister won't have to grow up as badly as we did. Isn't that great?"_

She didn't want to remember all of these memories. That man was nothing but a common soldier who looked up to her, one of many that liked to brag about his accomplishments to her. He had died saving a child from a fire, and Li-Hua remembered meeting his grieving family afterwards.

"_Tch. You're Li Hui Zhong, right? What can you say to us that can bring our brother back?" At the lack of response, the small boy scoffed. "I thought so. Remember this, Zhong: even though my brother might not be worth as much as you, he had more of a heart than you ever will."_

Li-Hua clenched onto Shu-Zan's hand for a moment longer as she closed her eyes, breathing in. "Damn…" She breathed, tears prickling at the back of her eyes as she refused to let a weakness show, blinking them back in.

"It's okay to cry, you know." Jae-Ha's voice was casual.

"I know." She stood up shakily, gently letting down Shu-Zan's hand. "But not now. Not here, at least." Li-Hua's gaze avoided the still body of the soldier as she said soberly, "I knew him."

"I could tell." Jae-Ha's voice was patient, soothing even.

"I had forgotten about it until now."

"But you remembered in the end, didn't you?" He raised his eyebrows challengingly, most of the pompous air that he usually carried completely dissolved in the midst of the situation. She breathed in, nodding. "Then that's good enough."

There was a crackling sound that made Li-Hua's heart lurch as inwardly, she wailed to herself. _Why was it always her?_

Fire.

Flames licked at their toes, the smell of smoke quickly spreading through the air as she heard cries of alarm from other ships as the men who must have been part of the pirate crew watched in astonishment as the main ship began catching on fire right before their eyes. Flames danced before them, and Li-Hua cursed as she casted a glance at Jae-Ha.

Running to Ai-Shun and Mei-Lin, she took them by the hand and led them over to Jae-Ha, ignoring the girls' protests. Sei-Yeong was already gone, probably having gone to look for her missing friend on another ship judging by the missing lifeboat on the edge of their boat. "Take them," Li-Hua barked, literally throwing the girls into his arms. "You can jump, can't you? Take them to another ship."

Jae-Ha seemed to hesitate for a moment, gaze lingering on her as her eyes narrowed. "I'll be fine, so just go!" She shoved him forward, and the green haired man nodded as he prepared to jump. With one swift movement of his foot, he and the girls were flying through the air that was quickly being filled with acrid smoke.

Li-Hua's gaze met with Mei-Lin's for a moment, and she was surprised to see the girl's face streaked with tears. Mei-Lin mouthed something at her, pointing a finger at herself before she went out of view.

_Be safe._

Li-Hua was now alone on the burning ship. A thought struck her. Yang Kum Jin! Her body whipped around as she tore through the smoke, slamming the door of the main cabin open and finding that there was nothing but flames inside. The lord must have escaped with the other lifeboat.

She cursed. Well, there went her escape route.

Li-Hua surveyed her options. The cause of the fire was probably one of the barrels of oil that must have been spilled during the fight, although she wouldn't put it past Yang Kum Jin to light the oil up in desperation. The left side of the deck was completely caught up in flames, and she inched towards the edge of the right side as her grip on the soldier's sword tightened.

Her swords must have been caught up in the fire by now, she thought wistfully as Li-Hua stared at the burning main cabin. She coughed violently, and quickly she ripped off a piece of her sleeve and held it to her mouth so she could breathe easier.

Li-Hua could always _try_ to jump in the water, she supposed to herself. It must be freezing cold, considering the time of day, but if she was lucky she would be able to regulate her body temperature long enough so that she wouldn't catch hypothermia while she swam to another boat.

There was a crackling sound behind her as she lept out of the way of the falling mast. Li-Hua was running out of time. She had to make a decision, and quick. She stood on the edge of the boat, taking off her leather boots and throwing them on the deck. They would be nothing but dead weight for her.

There was a sound that caught her ears as she happened to glance down. It was Jae-Ha, standing triumphantly on a lifeboat he must have taken from another boat to the edge of the one she was standing on. His emerald green eyes met her gaze, and he gave her a smirk, holding out his arms. "Jump. I'll catch you," he called.

Li-Hua paused, her foot hesitating to leave solid ground.

Trust was not something she gave away easily. She had done that before, and it had cost her.

She happened to glance down again, and it was obvious by the slight disppointed glint in Jae-Ha's eyes that he knew she didn't want to.

Li-Hua closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before allowing her feet to tip over as she fell, praying that Jae-Ha would keep his promise. There was a moment of pure silence as air whooshed around her before warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist and stopped her descent. She opened her eyes again, looking up as she met Jae-Ha's slightly surprised face.

"You jumped," he said, shifting his grip so that he wouldn't make her fall.

"I did," Li-Hua confirmed, and it seemed like some kind of light had dawned in Jae-Ha's eyes as he gave her a full out, boyish grin.

"You trusted me." It was not a question.

"Perhaps. Or I might have just fell in desperation," she deflected easily. Jae-Ha gently let her down, letting her stand on the solid platform of the lifeboat. The two stood like that, side by side, as they watched Yang Kum Jin's boat burn.

That fire, so bright and luminescent in the middle of the dark waves, seemed like a flame of hope, Li-Hua reflected as she glanced at Jae-Ha.

She _had_ trusted him. She wasn't sure why, because Li-Hua had thought that she would never trust any kind of pervert, but Jae-Ha was...different. She wasn't exactly sure how, but she let the uneasiness go.

"_Li-Hua, do you trust _anybody _to watch your back during a battle?" Soo-Won asked curiously as he peered over at his companion._

_She shrugged. "Even if they're skilled, you never know if someone will double cross you. I suppose Hak, because he's as loyal as you can get to King Il, but not really. Just you and him, I guess." Li-Hua gave him a bright smile._

"_T-thank you, Li-Hua."_

"I did," she said hoarsely, voice low. Li-Hua was sure that the dragon warrior caught her small comment, however, because his figure did stiffen just a tiny bit. "I did trust you."

"Thanks, Li." He sent her a brilliant smile.

She looked away, ducking her head embarrassedly as glorious cries of victory sounded as she looked up to see a woman, crimson hair shining and bow still poised after taking a shot.

The battle was won.

* * *

**A/N: This is such a long-ass chapter. Like, seriously. But I didn't want to break it up because it would break the flow, so there you have it. Awa Arc basically finished. I don't know why I've been struck by such inspiration, but I suspect it is thanks to all of you.**

**A few explanations about the chapter: **_**Shu-Zan **_**is made up. Li-Hua knew his brother in the past, and met him once. Added in for extra angst feels. She feels guilty because she wasn't able to save his brother during the battle and now couldn't save him, and the fact stands that he died for her. Yeah. Also, Li-Hua can be badass. Yeah. You all saw that coming. She's a pretty distrustful person right now, but she used to be nicer-ish. There were 2 lifeboats per boat. Ignore any logic about lifeboat procedures. Also, let's presume that Yang Kum Jin lit up the ship in desperation to stop the monsters (his knowledge of Li-Hua's attack helped prompt him to do so) before escaping. Also, note that Jae-Ha didn't get shot in the leg by Yang Kum Jin because he was too busy helping out Li-Hua and co.**

**Plot differences. :)**

**We won't see Soo-Won for a while. I apologize. I love him too, but right now it's Jae-Ha's time to shine. So basically Soo-Won will be in random flashbacks I throw in every once in a while, but Jae-Ha will be the focus for a few chapters. :)**

**I've also noted that there's been a slightly higher trend of Jae-Ha stories recently. Cheers, my fellow AnY authors.**

**Thank you for all the kind reviews! They _really_ make my happy. Like, happy enough to write this chapter fast happy. Yeah. So thanks to _Ita-chan18, ddmahan, gingersnapbunny, _and _RyuSayuri _for reviewing!**

**And a thanks to the favorite-ers, followers, and readers too~ Although if you drop by a review I'd be very happy as well. :) The feedback always helps me improve.**

**I'm also wondering, if I create a forum for people who like AnY OC's for people to ask for advice/discuss ideas/discuss latest chapters, would you guys be up to it?**

**Review~**

**Until next time~**


	7. Chapter 7

Jae-Ha watched Li-Hua closely, with slight trepidation. He had jumped and landed them on another ship, of which he was immediately patted on the back by various members of the pirate crew. Even Yang Kum Jin's men, or at least some of them, had broken into slightly relieved but weary smiles as the two groups drew back into the harbor.

Li-Hua, the black haired enigma with the golden eyes, had fallen mostly silent as she chose to stay above board to brood, leaning against the edge of the deck and staring out at the water. The green haired warrior wasn't quite sure what to think of his mysterious acquaintance/friend/ally.

On one hand, Jae-Ha could tell that Li-Hua had a conscious buried beneath her layered masks, as proven when she had given Mei-Lin (the other girl in the hotsprings, he remembered idly) and 'Ai-Shun', as the noble girl later introduced herself to their savior. He had suavely flirted with the two ladies for a while, basking in their slightly admirous gazes as he regaled them with harrowing tales of his various battles with Yang Kum Jin, all the while digging for more information about Li-Hua.

Both of those girls had been so enraptured in his stories that their minds had drifted away from the surreal reality of their situation. Yang Kum Jin was dead.

They were _free,_ and it was all thanks to the red haired girl that Jae-Ha had thought to be fragile just the other day. In the glorious moments of victory, the pirates had rejoiced, but now it was starting to dawn upon them the consequences of winning their battle.

Their adventure was over.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that, so Jae-Ha pushed it away. Instead, he focused on the woman that he had decided to keep company with above deck. The wind was strong, and Awa was steadily becoming visible in the horizon. Small amounts of salt water managed to spray part of the deck, the wind feeding the spray more power although Li-Hua didn't seem to mind the slight coolness.

Something had taken form in her mind, Jae-Ha realized as he watched a small smile play on her face. Perhaps an inkling of an idea of the freedom that she had helped them win for Awa, if she was any like him.

Jae-Ha was sure that deep down, there was a small part of them that they both shared. The desire for..._freedom_, yet the longing to have a place to belong was present in her eyes, and the reason Jae-Ha recognized that look was because he saw it whenever he looked in a mirror.

"Awa sure looks nice from this angle, doesn't it?" She muttered to herself, although Jae-Ha caught the quiet murmur as he took the opportunity to make conversation.

"It's _always_ beautiful," he confirmed, and Li-Hua blinked and turned to look at him as if she never noticed his presence next to her. Perhaps she didn't. For once, Jae-Ha couldn't find the strength to play around as a genuine smile crossed his face. "Especially from the sea, though in my opinion."

"Is that so?" Li-Hua raised her eyebrows. There was still a somewhat _lonely_ look in her eyes, maybe because of that boy soldier that Jae-Ha didn't catch the name of, although he delighted in having any response at all from the usually stoic warrior.

Jae-Ha gave a slight tilt of his head in response. Sighing and turning around so that his body leaned against the railing, Jae-Ha said thoughtfully, "I suppose we have you to thank for helping us."

Li-Hua snorted at that. "I wasn't much help," she dismissed. "I lost my swords and hair pins in the fire, and now Shu-Zan's dead. Some help I was."

"But you saved Miss Mei-Lin and Miss Ai-Shun, correct? Not to mention that there was one more girl that couldn't have escaped without your help." Jae-Ha recalled from his disguised interrogation of the two girls.

"Sei-Yeong," Li-Hua informed lightly as she tapped her fingers against the rim of the wooden railing. "She intentionally came in to save a friend, although I'm not sure why Yang Kum Jin took enough interest in her to keep her with us."

"I heard from a soldier that it was because they discovered her eavesdropping on one of their classified conversations," Jae-Ha added as she gave a thoughtful hum, her black hair swept back by the wind as she gave him a small glance.

"I suppose." Changing the subject easily, Li-Hua gave the Green Dragon a look of faint amusement. "You are well informed, I see. But I think that I can do better."

"Care to make a wager on that?" Jae-Ha dared, his green eyes sparkling with mischievousness. If there was one thing that Jae-Ha knew he could do well without his...curse, it would be smooth talking people and easily gaining access into their knowledge. The ability to flirt came to Jae-Ha almost like breathing: it was so natural that he himself forgot he did it (unless, of course, he was reminded by a certain Princess's bodyguard).

It would be a worthy challenge, however. He could tell by the ease in Li-Hua's composure despite the issued challenge that she was feeling quite confident in her abilities.

_Hah,_ well Jae-Ha would show _her_ his gentlemanly side. Perhaps he would even impress the stoic woman along the way~ (The logical part of Jae-Ha's mind, however, was truly doubtful of this.)

Li-Hua's eyes glinted with humor and confidence as she tilted her head and held out her hand. "It's a bet. Whoever can find out the most information about...ah, all of your crew by the end of the hour wins. We meet back here."

"Deal." Jae-Ha stretched his hand and took hers casually. He _definitely_ knew his crew enough that he wouldn't even need to go around and talk to them. Of course, whatever method of seduction that Li-Hua would try would weigh nothing over his brotherly bonds with the men.

...or so he thought.

As soon as they had made the deal, Li-Hua went below deck to where the majority of the pirates on the boat where. Out of curiosity, Jae-Ha followed her and was surprised to hear words that he thought would never come out of what he had originally written off as a stick in the mud.

"Ah, so then I can call you Qai then?" Li-Hua giggled, leaning closer to the pirate as Qai, who Jae-Ha knew to be reduced to a stuttering mess around women, blushed but leaned closer and whispered something in her ear.

Jae-Ha openly gaped.

"You know," Li-Hua continued casually, scratching her head awkwardly as she looked at the man. "Despite being saved by you _brave, handsome _men, I don't really know much about you." Li-Hua hesitated. _Don't use the word 'but'._ "I want to learn more about you all. Why don't you all tell me about yourselves? It isn't everyday you get to talk to the saviors of Awa, and I'm sure my family would be _delighted_ to hear about you all."

A sly suggestion added with an overdosed compliment from a pretty woman left barely any pirate unscathed. The men blushed, and each of them tripped over themselves as they told her about their wives, sisters, brothers, and other family members. Qai had just begun talking about how he had been a fisherman before he joined the crew thanks to Jae-Ha when the person in question walked up and put a hand on Li-Hua's shoulder.

His smile was slightly scary, as he was aware thanks to the way all of the pirates' faces blanched. "Li, I do believe that we should head back up deck. Don't you think so?"

Li-Hua looked ready to protest, but something in Jae-Ha's face seemed to convince her to not cause a scene in front of the other pirates. Grudgingly, she followed Jae-Ha above deck and braced herself for his whining.

"How cruel, Li, that you wouldn't even compliment your savior yet you do so to a bunch of strangers because of a bet," Jae-Ha said mournfully, latching on to her arm as she twitched and attempted to push him off. His grip, however, was firm and he was not deterred by her efforts.

"Get...off..." Li-Hua gritted out, and if any Jae-Ha seemed to hold onto her right arm even tighter.

She passively resigned herself to her fate, rolling her eyes up to the high heavens as she wondered what she might have done in her past life to deserve this moment.

"I assure you that _I_ can be much more interesting than any of my crewmates." Jae-Ha leaned over at her flirtatiously, but just as he had done so, the ship lurched to the side.

Both Jae-Ha and Li-Hua blinked in faint surprise as they slowly realized that their faces were close. _Very_ close, that if Jae-Ha or Li-Hua leaned forward just a tiny bit their noses would touch. Instead of leaning in as Li-Hua thought he would, Jae-Ha's pupils seemed to dilate in surprise as she jumped back nearly a foot, insuring that the distance between them would be enough to keep her sane.

Jae-Ha seemed to falter in his bravado for a moment. "Well…" He hesitated, and Li-Hua took in the fact that he was caught off guard and put it to the side, determined to analyze the reaction later. He deflected the atmosphere as he changed the subject of conversation. "It seems like we've arrived back in Awa."

It was true. The ship had pulled into the harbor, along with about three other ships that had been originally been part of Yang Kum Jin's fleet and the pirate ship. Li-Hua breathed in the fresh air as she took in the sight of the bustling city. How would the citizens react to the lost of their tyrant lord? Only time could tell, although she could guess with several other situations like this occurring throughout Kouka.

Interestingly enough, the long lasting tyrannical rule of certain lords seemed to abate under Soo-Won's rule. Perhaps he had something to do about it.

Li-Hua knew that if her old companion knew he would definitely do something about it. If there was one thing that Soo-Won desired rather than power, it would be for a powerful Kouka to rise once more. A kingdom that could support its people. She wondered about Il's death. The late emperor, from her perspective, had been very kind. Some might have called it cowardly, but she called it kindness. He was almost too nice to be involved in politics, and the same went for Yona. Surely Soo-Won could have achieved his rule without the unsightly death of another.

...maybe there was something else going on. Li-Hua resolved to research into it more. Perhaps a few free drinks for the old minister would loosen his tongue enough for her to gather a sense of the situation.

...Yona. The thought struck her cold, and she closed her eyes briefly. The red haired princess would be waiting for her, she knew. Li-Hua wanted to blame the princess's knowledge of her presence on Hak, but she knew it was sort of her fault in a way. After all, jumping off a burning ship was bound to catch some attention.

Li-Hua ignored the small feeling she couldn't quite identify when she thought of the event.

Faintly, she realized that the other sailors and women were already exiting the ship through a plank that had been set up between the ship and the pier. Jae-Ha put his hand on Li-Hua's shoulder to catch her attention and nodded towards the plank, guiding her over to the walkway. She stepped off of the ship cautiously, feet wobbling a little bit before she regained her standing.

Jae-Ha seemed to be smiling enigmatically at her, and Li-Hua barely had a second to register the sight of crimson hair before she was literally tackled over by an overenthusiastic Princess.

"Li-Hua!" Yona hugged on to her former friend tightly, breath slightly labored from rushing over from her ship. As soon as she had spotted the outline of her former comrade, Yona had all but leaped out of the ship and onto the ground, rushing towards Li-Hua without a second thought. After two years of absence...two years of thinking that her friend was _dead_, the sight of her dear friend was almost too much for the princess. The golden eyed girl had been caught off guard, mouth pursing together and eyebrows raised in surprise as she patted the red haired girl on the back, trying to breathe.

"...it's nice to see you again, Yona," Li-Hua said softly, and to her surprise the statement was genuine. She _had_ missed Yona during her absence...actually, she had missed everyone during that short yet eternal period of two years that she knew she could never earn back. "But you're choking me. Can you let go?"

The familiar statement was enough to make Yona hold on tighter. "We thought you were dead," Yona whispered as Li-Hua's eyes shone with guilt.

"I thought so too, for a little. Just a mission gone wrong, but now I'm back and that's all that matters," Li-Hua admitted, putting a soothing smile on her face as her eyes grew softer while she stared at her old friend. Yona had changed, no doubt about it. Although there were the obvious changes like the shortened hair, there was also something about Yona's posture and the callouses on her hands that led Li-Hua to believe that Hak was not joking when he said the Princess had taken up archery.

And she had even witnessed the end result at the battle's finale. Li-Hua studied Yona's face to see if anything had changed. A first kill, she knew, could sometimes be painful. But there was nothing but joy and slight wistfulness in Yona's eyes as she clutched onto her friend.

"You look well," Li-Hua observed.

Yona laughed, the sound relieving any leftover tension about the two's reunion as she let go of her embrace, stepping back to study her friend. "As do you. Where are your weapons?"

At that, Li-Hua's expression soured as she happened to glance up, catching Hak's gaze. The rest of Yona's group had caught up to their exuberant Princess and were displaying various reactions. The white haired one, Kija if Hak had informed her correctly, looked half torn between being happy for Yona and being jealous that the Princess's affections were being spent on another. The short and slightly girly looking one (Yoon, Hak had told her) was smiling at the scene although he glanced skeptically at Hak as if to ask who Li-Hua was. The one with the mask, Shin-Ah as she was told, was smiling at the scene and staring at it as if trying to ingrain the moment in his memory.

Hak, on the other hand, was standing confidently to the side as he let the two girls have their moment. Li-Hua met his eyes and the two exchanged a nod. Even though Hak and Li-Hua had known each other for a fair amount of time, they had kept their relationship strictly business for such a long time that it was hard to break the habit now. Hak didn't tease her as he did with nearly everyone else, and Li-Hua took him seriously and told him mainly the truth in respect.

"I lost them in the fire," Li-Hua told Yona honestly, her mouth pursed in annoyance. Her mind flashed back to when a feeling of hopelessness arose in her when she had stared at the flames of the main cabin, knowing that her treasures were gone. "Along with my hairpins."

"Ah, didn't Kang Ji Jun and Soo-" Yona abruptly cut off as her eyes darkened. "Never mind. Will you replace them?"

Li-Hua shrugged, obviously relieved for the change of subject. She didn't point out Yona's slip of tongue, something the red haired girl was grateful for as she replied, "In due time. You can't rush finding a new weapon, or in my case several new weapons."

Yona nodded in understanding. Even though the red haired girl seemed to have composed herself, there was the faintest glimmer of tears in her eyes. "...Li-Hua, we really did miss you. I am...I am glad that you're alive."

Li-Hua accepted the statement in silence.

A sudden searing pain made her shiver. Li-Hua winced, almost doubling over as she bit back the urge to hiss. Adrenaline and the urgency of other situations had been keeping the thought of her injury at bay, but now that they were safely back on land her back was burning. Jae-Ha noticed this, and eyes flashing at the thought of a maiden hurt, he acted.

"Yoon, she's hurt," Jae-Ha pointed out as Yona's amethyst eyes widened in concern.

"A-ah, Li-Hua, are you alright?" Yona stammered, inwardly cursing her obliviousness. While she had been overjoyed at the reunion, her friend had been suffering from a wound that apparently was not treated even after the battle several hours earlier. Li-Hua nodded in response.

Yoon quickly made his way into the scene, motioning for everyone to scoot back as he examined Li-Hua's back. Nodding to himself, he turned around and said, "I'll bandage her up and disinfect the cut. It's just a sword wound that should heal in a few week's time, although I can't promise there won't be a scar."

"That's fine." Li-Hua gritted out. She really was an idiot to let the injury get out of hand. How many warriors had she met who had made the same amateurish mistake and suffered for it? She blamed her inattention on Jae-Ha. He was distracting her for most of their ride back to Awa.

Li-Hua did blink curiously as Yoon procured several rolls of bandages and a bottle of alcohol to disinfect the wound from his bag. It seemed like the boy was readily prepared for this kind of thing, as if the group got into troublesome situations on a daily basis. She murmured her thanks as the boy moved to treat the wound, glancing up at Hak pleadingly.

The black haired warrior understood and shoved along Jae-Ha. "Come on, Droopy Eyes. We can check on her later. She doesn't need you hanging over her every moment of the day." Casting a glance around at the rest of the group, Hak added, "That accounts for the rest of you too. Go find something to occupy yourselves."

The former General side of Hak was really shining through, Li-Hua thought wistfully as everyone obeyed him. Jae-Ha was a little hesitant, she noted, but with a scowl and glare from Hak and Li-Hua the green haired man wandered off.

"I'll have to take your clothes off, so let's move somewhere a little less crowded," Yoon said, currently in his doctor mode that he wasn't the least afraid to say something like that. Li-Hua nodded and the two relocated to a small shop that was by the port that the owner allowed them to utilize.

Li-Hua took off her dress, and stayed silent as Yoon began to work. After a few minutes of bearing through stinging sensations thanks to the rubbing alcohol, her wound was nicely bandaged. Yoon stepped back and studied his work before giving a triumphant nod. "Finished," he said, satisfied. Observing her, Yoon added, "You should probably get new clothes. Your outfit's stained with blood on the back."

Again cursing her stupidity, Li-Hua nodded.

"And...if you don't mind me asking, what's with the strange mark on your back? Some kind of tattoo?" Yoon asked, his strawberry blonde hair falling in front of his face as his blue orbs blinked at her curiously.

"Ah, that," Li-Hua said faintly, closing her eyes. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to keep quiet about that. Just a scar from an old burn."

Yoon frowned, his blue eyes reflecting his uncertainty. It didn't look like a burn to him, but maybe it was because of age. He resolved to read more about burns later, but nodded in response to her request. "Alright. Although I'd expect for you to confess sometime or later."

A wry smile formed on Li-Hua's face. "What makes you think that I'm going to stay around long enough for that?"

"Those people are ridiculously clingy." Yoon waved over in the general direction of the group. "Once you join them, it's nearly impossible to get out. Especially since you seem to know Yona and Hak in some way, not to mention we're trying to get that green haired guy to join." There was a silent plea for an explanation beneath the boy's words.

"I…" Li-Hua debated on how much to tell this boy, but just one glance at Yoon told her all she needed to know. "I was once the bodyguard to the elder son of the Fire Tribe General. I've met Yona and Hak on several occasions when my charge accompanied his father on business."

This was probably the most she told anyone about her past since _that_ incident two years ago. It sort of felt nice to let her past, or at least one chapter of her past, out into the open.

Yoon looked fairly impressed. Being the self-proclaimed genius pretty boy as he was, Yoon knew that the requirements to becoming a bodyguard to an important person like the next in line to become General meant that she should not be taken lightly. But the other side of him...the part that had suffered as a Fire Tribe citizen made him question the woman just a bit. What were her intentions? Why was she here now? Why was Yona so happy to see her?

She had answered his question, but left him with much more. It frustrated Yoon.

"Ah, it seems like there's going to be a celebration." Li-Hua blinked in curiosity as she noted the sounds outside. The rambunctious group of pirates must have gotten the word out fairly quickly. "I think I can buy a set of clothes from here for now since Yang Kum Jin destroyed most of my other property."

Yoon's eyebrows creased. "You don't have proper clothes?"

"...not at the moment."

Yoon had taken note that the store they were using was a fabric store, and with an annoyed sigh he put down his bag and ruffled through it before pulling out several needles and thread. "Then I might as well make you an outfit. I've already treated a lot of the pirates, and there's probably others that can do that right now. Do you know how to sew?"

"I do." Her mother had taught her at a young age, one of the few things that she knew about being a proper lady.

"Then pick out a few patterns of fabric from the shop and let's get working. Hopefully it can be done before nightfall so you can join the celebration."

"Why are you doing this?" Li-Hua couldn't help but ask. Several were kind enough to do even the smallest service for a stranger, yet this boy was willing to spend the rest of his day here for her.

"Consider it a thanks for helping us out, and cheering Yona up. I don't know why she likes you as much as she does, but she still was a little off after...incapacipating Yang Kum Jin, but you brought her spirits up again."

A warm smile spread across Li-Hua's face, lighting up her usually sharp features completely. "You're very kind, Yoon."

The strawberry blonde looked caught off guard before looking away embarrassedly and scoffing, "Trust me, once you get to know me you won't be saying that. But for what it matters, thanks." There was a slight softness to the end of his sentence that made Li-Hua almost want to chuckle.

"You shouldn't try to lie too much. You're too young," Li-Hua said wistfully.

"And you're not? I recall that Yona once spoke of a girl companion that should be twenty two at the moment."

She didn't answer.

* * *

**A/N: Happy belated Halloween! (Well, if you celebrate it.) I really shouldn't update this so late, but I was determined to get it out during the weekend and here it is. Sorry it sort of ended badly, but I couldn't figure out a proper ending and know it'd take me another thousand words or so to get through the party. The next chapter will probably be shorter describing the celebration, and then we'll move on to the next arc. Semi-canon ly.**

**(Ah, in case you're all wondering, this is going by the _MANGA_, so if you haven't read it just saying the rest is going to be semi spoiler. You know, since the anime ended after this. I highly recommend reading it too: I actually read it first, so yeah...)**

**Thanks for all the support! :) Last chapter got the highest hits for reviews, and I'm so happy you all enjoy this story. Not to mention that I have wonderful favorite-ers, followers, and readers too. ;)**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter~ Tell me your thoughts! Ciao!**


	8. Chapter 8

Li-Hua wished the ground could swallow her whole. She was clad in her new outfit, courtesy of Yoon. It was a beautiful outfit, she grudgingly admitted. She was wearing a dress that was somewhat reminiscent of Fire Tribe gowns. The forest green fabric and golden designs combined to make a patterned dress that fell to her knees, and the dress clung to her body not too tightly or loosely. The neck dipped low enough just to expose a little of her cleavage as it was easier for seduction. It was an outfit that could survive a battle or two, and as a bonus Yoon had sewed several areas in the skirt so there would be slim hiding places to keep sharp projectiles in.

The outfit wasn't the problem. It was the attention she got when wearing it that made Li-Hua want to die in a hole. Several pirates flocked around her, complimenting about how the gold accents brought out her eyes. If Soo-Won was here, he would have called the golden rings on her dress 'noble', and fitting to her personality. She could almost hear his voice. ("_Gold, strong and proud, refuses to bend to only the most skilled of blacksmiths. Do you not think that describes you?"_)

Li-Hua half expected for the blonde to appear beside her. Shaking her head, she pushed away the thought. _Things have changed. We can't go back to those times anymore, so stop thinking about it._

She closed her golden eyes, refocusing, and when she opened her eyes again they were sharp. Even though Awa was peaceful now, there were still other places like this. Especially in the Fire Tribe…

What was her goal now? Originally, before she had even become a soldier, it had been to protect her sister. Then, her goal had shifted to protecting her charge. And now?

She murmured an apology to the pirates as she slipped away, contemplating as she walked along the pier.

Who did she have left to protect?

Unknowingly, her eyes darted over in the direction of Yona, who was currently chatting happily with one of the pirates. Yona and Hak were important to her, she knew. But the Princess would be fine, especially with Hak and the other Dragons watching after her.

She'd head into the Fire Tribe once again. There were other people that she needed to help, other people that she could stop from taking her path. Hopefully she could change this world enough so that people like Soo-Won didn't have to take responsibility and go against the world alone.

"What are you doing?" Jae-Ha appeared by her side, startling Li-Hua out of her thoughts. She gave a weary smile to the man by her side, sitting down on the wooden pier and observing the dark waters. The moonlight reflected off the water serenely, and there was some kind of crisp and cool edge to the air that made Li-Hua's eyes soften.

"Thinking," she answered as truthfully as she could. "About what to do next."

"Hmmm…" He sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed briefly. Thoughtfully, Jae-Ha said, "What a coincidence, I'm doing the same thing."

"What do you want, Green Dragon?" Li-Hua asked, too tired to beat around the bush. Jae-Ha didn't outwardly react sans a small twitch of his eyebrow at the formal title.

"Nothing in particular." He hummed nonchalantly. "Why do you look so noglastic?"

"It's just…" Li-Hua tried to find a way to express the feeling in words before she gave up. Her shoulders slumped as she closed her eyes, tilting her head up towards the starry sky. "...I'll miss this peacefulness."

Jae-Ha looked like he was contemplating something. Finally, he looked up and Li-Hua couldn't help but notice the deep shade of green that his eyes were. "You should enjoy the moment. We're here now, aren't we?"

Li-Hua was silent. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips as if she hadn't thought of that before. "I suppose." Standing up, Li-Hua stretched her legs as she turned around at her companion, golden eyes glinting with a hint of excitement. "Let's join the festivities now, shall we?"

* * *

Jae-Ha and Li-Hua had not taken a step towards the rest of the party when the black haired woman had been whisked away, caught up in the flow as she joined a group of pirates who were storytelling. Quickly, she began to integrate with the group, laughing at a joke one of the pirates said.

He never would have pegged her for the social type, but there were a lot of things that Jae-Ha didn't know about Li-Hua. He proceeded to occupy himself with flirting with a few shy women who lingered at the edge of the party.

"Hello, you lovely young ladies. You shouldn't be fluttering out _here_," Jae-Ha gestured towards the somewhat gloomy edge of the party. "You should be showing off your beauty to the world. Let's celebrate, shall we?"

"Ah," one of the girls said suddenly, reddening to the tips of her ears as she fiddled with her fingers. "W-we actually just came by to give our gratitude to you pirates. Y-you've helped us out a lot."

"Before we were pirates, we were fishermen as well," Jae-Ha reminded gently.

"Even so," one of the other girls moved a step closer to him. "We are thankful. Is there anything we can do to show our gratitude?"

Jae-Ha casted a glance around the joyous atmosphere. Surveying the scene, he said playfully, "Well, perhaps a few bottles of alcohol could do us some good. We ran out the other day."

"Of course." One of the women hurried off to get some, while the other three lingered uncertainly next to Jae-Ha. Giving them a wink, he led them closer to the center of the party. "I'm sure you'd love to hear a few harrowing stories of us dashing pirates, would you not?"

Every once in awhile, he would catch Li-Hua's eye and the two would exchange a silent nod before continuing on. The night was soon upon them, and lights of any kind were lit up. Lanterns, hanging from clotheslines that local citizens had strung up, shone and lit up the streets that were aloud with laughter. There was a slight smell of alcohol that had begun to pervade the streets as well, although no one was complaining.

"A drink?" Someone offered, holding out a bottle of sake. Jae-Ha looked up from the group of giggling girls he was entertaining to meet amused golden eyes. He took the drink, smirking.

"I never took you to be such a party goer."

Li-Hua shrugged, the motion slow and deliberate. "In my old occupation, I was forced to attend many parties with my charge. Improper social etiquette would be unfitting of him, so I suppose the habit stuck. It's not like I'm _that_ much of a loner." At Jae-Ha's dry look, she amended, "Well, sort of. I just prefer to travel around by myself."

"Have you decided on what to do next?" Jae-Ha asked, lazily dropping a hand around her shoulders as Li-Hua stiffened from the sudden contact but did not pull away. Instead, the black haired woman gave a curt nod.

"I'll be travelling to the Fire Tribe. It was the place where I was born, after all," Li-Hua answered.

"Really, now?" Jae-Ha contemplated that thought. There was a thought that struck him, and being the person he was he immediately asked it. "Why are you telling me this?"

Li-Hua shrugged again, her golden eyes blinking in surprise as if she thought Jae-Ha wouldn't notice. She pushed back a stray strand of raven black hair as she replied, "Probably because from the looks of it, you'll be travelling with Yona. Sooner or later you'd find out anyways."

"Find out what?" Jae-Ha pressed.

Li-Hua paused, seemingly pondering over what exactly she should tell him. "I was the bodyguard of the Fire Tribe General's first son. That's why Yona and Hak knew me, although I doubt they know why exactly I was recruited or the places I've gone after that. It's better they don't know."

Jae-Ha did not press any further, taking in the information silently. Even if Li-Hua made excuses, she still trusted him enough to explain this all to him, and that required some form of gratitude. Jae-Ha hummed a tune that he had long thought he had forgotten. "Thanks, Li."

"The name's Li-Hua," she corrected. "Or Li Hui Zhong if you'd like to refer to my bodyguard alias."

"Hm...I think I like Li better. Simple and straight to the point, so it fits better." Jae-Ha pretended to ignore the slight twitch of her mouth downwards in annoyance. They stood like that, peacefully in the middle of celebration before she broke the silence.

"You're different," Li-Hua said simply, eyes shining with some kind of emotion Jae-Ha didn't recognize or could even identify. It bothered him that he couldn't read her like he could with nearly all of his crew and even Yona's group when they had met. She was forever breaking his expectations, and Jae-Ha didn't exactly know what to say next.

It was apparent his confusion was visible as Li-Hua let out a small, good to honest chuckle as she shook her head ruefully. "Don't think about it too much. It's just that sometimes you remind me of someone, and other times…"

Jae-Ha didn't question who this _someone _was.

* * *

In the middle of negotiations with a man who claimed to be the rightful lord of Awa, Soo-Won sneezed.

* * *

Li-Hua was sitting on one of many wooden boxes that had been propped up to serve as a seat, her body's movements slightly less sharp but obviously still awake. There was a slight thumping sound in her head that was probably due to the _sake_ she had drinken earlier, but she could deal with that. At least she wasn't straight out drunk like some of the pirates that sat by her side.

A gentle, soothing sound filled the crisp night air, and Li-Hua closed her eyes and savored the music. Golden eyes flickering over to Jae-Ha, she couldn't help but admit that the green haired man was a talented musician. The melody was beautiful, eerie almost in its sereneness. Even Li-Hua's eyelids had begun to droop.

Somewhere inside her, she felt a slight stir. An urge, almost, to join the man and harmonize with him, be it with an instrument or her voice. But Li-Hua squished that notion: music was nothing but a pleasant convenience to her, and she could not force herself to lower her walls that much. Tonight was already the most she had opened up to anyone in a while.

The pirates next to her had begun snoring, trying to keep their eyes open to no avail as Jae-Ha looked on with a bitter smile. Li-Hua looked around the scene of the party. Everyone was either laying on the ground, intoxicated like the rest of Jae-Ha's crew, or had left the party sometime when she hadn't noticed. She spotted a few colorful heads and smiled as she spotted the rest of Yona's group. The Princess herself had fallen asleep, propped against a wall while Hak looked on silently. Their eyes met for a moment, and the black haired man gave her a cocky smirk before putting a finger to his lips.

Li-Hua stifled the urge to chuckle as she turned away, closing her eyes again and focusing on the music.

It was peaceful. It felt right. It...it almost felt like..

The realization hit Li-Hua like a ton of bricks, and silently she looked up at the starry sky and wondered, _when exactly had they grown on me like this_? But no matter how hard she tried, she knew that the feeling wouldn't change.

...it felt like _home_.

* * *

**A/N: Aaaand they're finally moving on from Awa. This was really short compared to other chapters, but I'm pretty sure I'll have chapter up and coming next week or the week after ish. My internet was confiscated for a while so I couldn't review or read any of my favorite fanfictions. ;_; Apologies especially to _Ita-Chan18._**

**Also, if any of you are aware, there's been a lot of stuff going on today Friday the 13th so I supposed I might as well spread some good around the internet if that makes any sense. The multiple attacks in France, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan, the earthquake in Mexico, and I believe 2 suicide bombings in Baghdad and Beirut. Let's do the best we can to support everyone who's been affected by these events, alright? If any of you reading it have been affected, please know that I am praying for you. I have a few relatives in Paris that I have not been able to contact yet, and I hope the same doesn't happen to you.**

**To my reviewers: thank you so much for your support. As you've read earlier, my internet was confiscated for a while so I couldn't reply to your reviews and it's too awkward to reply two weeks later. But I've read (and probably re-read) every single one and jump around happily and hug stuff. Yep. Extremely disturbing my family. And friends. So, gracias.**

**That's all I have for now. So, I'd like to thank all of you. Including my darling readers, followers, and favorite-ers too. :) I notice stuff. (Not stalker-ish at all).**

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: _YES I ACTUALLY UPDATED SEMI REGULARLY AGAIN. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?!_**

**A quick note that is important. **_**WE ARE IN MANGA TERRITORY.**_ **Prepare for spoilers. And although there are scenes I skip or perhaps change, that is most likely due to Li-Hua's presence. The timeline is also somewhat vague with 'a few days later', but it will generally follow canon. With side adventures. And stuff.**

* * *

She was walking along the winding dirt path, a bag slung over her shoulder and a set of daggers hidden in the pockets of her skirt. Li-Hua had left long before the Sun had risen, taking a round at the inn to see if there was anything she could salvage from the search Yang Kum Ji's men conducted. She had been able to find the stash of money she had hidden under the bed and her extra set of dagger hidden inside the outer layer of fabric of her bag.

That was all. Her swords had perished along with the ship she was captured on, but Hak had taken her aside the night before and handed to Li-Hua her hairpin. He said that Yang Kum Ji had given it to one of his men, probably to auction it off later, but he had retrieved it.

Even though Li-Hua mourned the loss of her swords, given to her by her charge after she had first saved his life, at least the hairpin wasn't lost.

She wondered what it was with Soo-Won and hairpins, remembering the flower hair pin Yona had been clutching as she slept when the party had ended.

Ah, wait. There _was_ one more thing she had. Li-Hua's clover pin was attached to her bag, shining in the morning light. Although Hak might have lost his clover charm and Yona was sure to have left it in the palace, Li-Hua had a feeling Soo-Won still had his clover ring. ("_A sign of the future king,"_ they had laughed then, thinking of the sapphire ring that Yona's father used to wear. How ironic.)

There was the sound of rustling from one of the trees to her right, and quickly Li-Hua whipped around while her hand inched carefully to where one of her daggers lay hidden. With a sharp thud, a certain green haired figure came tumbling out of the tree, leaves nearly the same shade of his hair falling to the ground as he laid sprawled on the ground.

"...Jae-Ha," Li-Hua said dryly, golden eyes rolling and staring up at the sky mournfully. _Why do you do this to me? _"...what are you doing?"

"Spying on you," Jae-Ha said cheerfully.

"...why." It came out more of a statement than a question.

"Because I felt like you would be the kind of person to leave without saying a word, Li~" Jae-Ha spread his arms out welcomingly while raising his eyebrows alluringly. "Now, trust me, _this_ face is quite worth staying a little longer before saying goodbye. Now, don't hold yourself back any longer, come~ Leap into my arms!"

...there was no word in the world that could describe how disgusted and disturbed Li-Hua was as she stared at him skeptically.

"...okay, not a fan of the face. It's okay, I can deal. After all, there are much more interesting things about me you'll grow to love ~"

"I'm very aware of the fact that while some may consider you...aesthetically pleasing, I'd prefer not to stay around you any longer than necessary." Li-Hua replied bluntly.

Jae-Ha gasped in mock hurt, putting his hands to his chest over dramatically. "How _could_ you?" He paused for a moment. "...although I do agree with the fact that I'm handsome," Jae-Ha added on a second thought.

"Nope. Goodbye. Thanks for helping me. Later."

"Ah, Li~ You're just shy, aren't you! After all, I can be overwhelming at first but really-ah, hey...Li! Where are you going?"

Li-Hua stared regretfully at her fading opportunity for silence, feet stopping as he called for her to slow down. As Jae-Ha ran up to her, she scowled. Jae-Ha, on the other hand, was looking ecstatic with a boyish smile on his face.

"Seems like I've stalled you long enough…" He muttered as Li-Hua blinked in faint surprise.

"Stall?" She questioned. But before she could ask anything else, their conversation was interrupted as someone called from behind them. "Li-Hua! Wait, Li-Hua!"

"Well…" There was that confident smirk of his as he gestured towards the gates of Awa. "You can't expect to meet up with them and just say goodbye, can you?"

"Li-Hua!" Yona hugged on to her friend as the black haired woman's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why did you try leaving? Ryokuryuu-ah, I mean Jae-Ha told us that you were trying to go off on your own. Why would you do that?"

"...I'm going back to the Fire Tribe," Li-Hua muttered, sounding like a scolded child as she gave a vicious glare towards a nonchalant looking Jae-Ha.

"Ah, really?" Yona brightened. "That's great! We are too! Why don't you join us?"

Li-Hua was so swept up in Yona's pace that all she could do was shrug, unable to speak. Now, Hak joined the conversation and he looked fairly quizzical. "You do realize that you've been declared dead." The bodyguard shifted his weight to his other foot as his obsidian eyes searched for an answer.

"Well, I'm not. What else is there to say?" Li-Hua shrugged uncomfortably.

"Speaking of which, what happened? All that those stuck up Fire nobles would say is that you went missing in action during a mission," Hak continued, and Li-Hua stiffened. She cursed: trust Hak to be observant.

"Oh, this and that. Anyways, shall we be going now?" Li-Hua eagerly pointed to the road, willing to do anything to deflect the subject as Hak wilted under Yona's vibrant yet stern gaze, obviously saying something along the lines of ending the subject for Li-Hua for the moment. A hand snaked around her waist, and Li-Hua twitched before twisting it and pushing it away. "Jae-Ha, do that again and you will suffer dire consequences."

"Ah, but I can't help myself with such a beautiful woman around me~"

Li-Hua and Jae-Ha began walking side by side with Yona and Hak until another voice stopped them. "E-excuse me, _hime_, but who _are_ these strange people? I recognize Ryokuryuu, obviously, but this strange woman? You were hugging her at the docks too!" Kija pointed an accusing finger at Li-Hua, his silver hair shining in the light as Li-Hua tilted her head and waited for Yona to answer.

"A-ah, sorry Kija-kun. I forgot to introduce you." Turning her bright amethyst eyes to Yoon, Kija, and Shin-Ah, Yona beamed. "Everyone, this is Li-Hua. She is one of my closest companions and I promise you that we can trust her. She used to work as a warrior, so she'll be able to help us on our quest."

"Wait, hold on now." Li-Hua held up her hands innocently. "Since when was I suddenly helping you all?" Several pairs of overprotective eyes glanced over to Li-Hua and the black haired woman shrunk back, muttering, "Fine, fine. I get it. I get it." Straightening up, she cleared her throat and said, "I'll help. For now, at least, but don't expect me to stick around for very long. I need to do things."

"What kind of things?" Hak asked, his eyes narrowed. Li-Hua met his eyes defiantly, noting that her fellow bodyguard did not flinch at the intensity of her gaze as most did. After all, it was _Hak_.

"Training things," she answered calmly. "Getting stronger and whatnot. Settling things with my employer. Figuring out Soo-Won."

At the last one, both Yona and Hak flinched, making Li-Hua regret her words somewhat. Although she knew Hak could handle it, she didn't mean to hurt Yona with her words. Her eyes softened a fraction as she resisted the urge to reach her hand out to offer a touch of comfort to her old companion. At the last moment, she drew back and took in a deep breath, sighing.

"Come on, let's go." Li-Hua trudged down the road, not bothering to look back to see Yona's surprised face at addressing the entire group. Looking slightly embarrassed, she stared intently at the ground. "What? You're going to the Fire Tribe, right? It's more convenient if we travel together anyways."

She didn't need to look back to know that the rest of the group was either chuckling, tension diffused, or nudging each other as they trudged down the road.

* * *

"You're usually more of a practical man, Kan Kyo Gya."

The eldest son of the Fire Tribe general looked up from his position next to the window with half lidded eyes, pressing him to continue.

"You still do not believe your dog is dead? Our unit set out on a rescue mission to find her, but there was no trace. She's been killed by the Kai Empire for sure."

Kan Kyo Ga studied the man in front of him, vaguely remembering him from one of his father's meetings. An unimportant lord who was really just there to beg on his knees to keep a higher percentage of the taxes he collected for Kan Kyo Ga's father.

Good. That meant he was of a higher rank then the lord, and could afford to ignore him. People knew better than spreading gossip about him, so his political standing would not suffer any.

Kan Kyo Ga did not answer, having already reasoned to himself that he did not seem the man worthy enough for a reply.

"Plus, she wasn't much anyways. A pretty face, but no woman could fight as good as a man. And definitely no woman could deserve such a high standing. Why did your father allow her to lead an entire legion of our men? It was nearly a miracle that she went missing during that mission. Good riddance. If she couldn't handle a simple espionage mission in the Kai Empire, I fear what would have happened if she continued-"

The man was cut off by the sound of a fist hitting a table, and warily the lord looked up to see the furious snake like eyes of Kan Kyo Ga, analyzing the man like a natural predator did to its prey. "I suggest that you shut your trap now, before you dig an even deeper hole for yourself. My father would be displeased to hear that you doubt his decisions, not to mention I will not have _you_ talk that way about my subordinate."

Kan Kyo Ga smirked at the suddenly fearful look on the man's face. Adding on thoughtfully, he said, "Not to mention you are speaking of classified Fire Tribe material that should not be spoken about carelessly. That mission was not to be spoken about at all."

"M-my lord, that was not my intention." The man bowed and let his head rest downwards on the ground. "I apologize for my insolence."

"Do not let me hear of your name again," Kan Kyo Ga said darkly as the man nodded hastily before running off. Worse than any dog, he thought as he watched the man flee. There really was no one he could trust now. Not his idiotic brother, nor his busy father.

_("I'll always be by your side, Kyo-Ga. You can trust me to watch your back, because even though I know you can handle things on your own, it's always better to have someone to help. That's what we bodyguards are here for...or that's what I am supposed to say. But truly, I respect you, Kyo-Ga. And I will follow you until the end.")_

He turned back to look out of the window.

* * *

"Ah, Yoon's back!" Yona shielded her eyes from the Sun as she peered at the arriving figure. Yoon had been sent to the village to buy more herbs, but it seemed like the strawberry blonde was holding something shiny in his hand and was staring at it. Yona ran over to her companion, scarlet hair shining in the sunlight. Peering over at the item in Yoon's hand, she asked, "What is it?"

"The scale of Hakuryuu," Yoon said skeptically, holding out the white scale for inspection. The other group members glanced over curiously, stopping their actions with Kija looking the most flustered as he paused in hanging up some of their clothes on a makeshift clothesline.

"W-what?"

Hak glanced over at the silver haired man, putting down the vest he was scrubbing as he asked, "What are you doing selling off your scales?"

"Who the hell would do such a thing?" Kija retorted, crossing his arms as literal lightning sparks began to appear between the two warriors. Li-Hua sighed, shaking her head. _Not again_. Hak, throughout their trip, had somehow managed to piss off Kija nearly every ten minutes, leaving either Yoon or Li-Hua to diffuse the mess. Jae-Ha wouldn't interfere in the entertainment for his life, and Yona was scarily oblivious of their rivalry when she wanted to be. Shin-Ah would occasionally step in, although it seemed like he shied away from doing so most of the time.

Yoon blinked as the scale was taken out of his hand while Jae-Ha inspected the newly aquired scale, bringing it closer to his face so he could see it better. "Hm...so if we eat this, will we become stubborn like him? Or will our right hands become huge like his?" Jae-Ha asked innocently, ignoring the glare sent by Kija from behind him.

Yoon sighed in exasperation as he raised a finger to silence them all. "As a matter of fact, it's supposed to be a scale that fulfills love."

With that one sentence, the clearing turned dead silent for a moment.

…

…

…

"Pfft...BWAHAHAHA!" Jae-Ha and Hak burst into laughter as Kija blushed, narrowing his eyes and glaring at the two who were currently laughing so hard that there were tears in their eyes.

"Oh? So where are those pink scales?" Hak taunted, staring at Kija with obviously aggressive eyes.

"I see...your scales can fulfill love, huh?" Jae-Ha said contemplatively, picking at Kija's hand. The silver haired man drew back in protest, pulling his arm away from Jae-Ha while simultaneously scowling at him. "Stop picking at it! It hurts!"

Meanwhile, Li-Hua stood up and grabbed the two bags that Yoon was carrying in his hands, noting the heavy weight. The strawberry blonde gave her a thankful smile as they both exchanged an exasperated nod in the direction of the idiots. "Always the same, aren't they?" Yoon asked dryly as Li-Hua nodded.

As he stood up straight, Kija turned towards Yoon. "This stuff about the Hakuryuu scale is nonsense! Running a deceitful trade using the name of the Holy Dragon is insolance! How could you buy something like that, Yoon?"

Yoon rolled his eyes. "As if I would. It was given to me as a freebie for buying two bags of salt." At that, Kija began a whole new rant about how suspicious it was until Jae-Ha stopped him.

"It just means they're making love charms modelled after the four dragons, right? This kind of thing is what girls ought to have. It would make a good decoration too~ Something like 'it fulfills love' sounds cute, doesn't it?" Jae-Ha half smiled as he sent a wink to Li-Hua, to which the black haired woman rolled her eyes and turned away. "Hey, Yona, come here for second."

"No, it's not supposed to be a love charm." Yoon unfolded a piece of paper that the old lady who he had been bargaining with had given to him along with the scale. "It's a so-called love potion."

Jae-Ha, who was about to give the scale to Yona, froze, smile still on his face as his hand quickly darted back to his side. Li-Hua and Hak's glares might have helped. "Sorry, my mistake," he apologized to a confused Yona.

"What's a love potion?" Kija tilted his head adorably, and Li-Hua who was standing near him stiffled a chuckle. As Yoon began to read a review from a seemingly love struck girl whose love was reciprocated after giving the scale, Kija began turning increasingly pale.

"_That_ is a love potion, Kija," Jae-Ha confirmed.

"...but why the Hakuryuu scale? Isn't that more of a curse potion?" Kija asked, and Li-Hua shifted, turning her gaze towards him.

"Love is both a blessing and a curse," she mused. "It is a double edged sword. Wield it correctly, and it will be the finest weapon that you could have. But if anything bad happens, well...it can be the most painful weapon your enemies could use against you." At everyone else's surprised looks, she said defensively, "Or at least that's what I heard from some of the Fire Tribe servants. Don't quote me on that."

After another few moments of silence in which Li-Hua shifted uncomfortably several times, the conversation resumed again as the boys refused to give back the scale to an exasperated Yoon.

"But...we finally got our hands on something interesting! Only an idiot won't use it!" Jae-Ha clutched onto the scale painfully as Li-Hua and Yoon facepalmed. _So that's what his true intentions were._

At Kija's objection, Jae-Ha leaned closer to the White Dragon and whispered something quietly in the man's ear. Li-Hua watched, transfixed, as Kija's face turned a whole new level of red as he stammered, "K-kyaa! I do not have such impure thoughts about the princess."

After a few more moments of negotiation between the group, it was finally decided that the scale would be given back to Yoon because it was too dangerous. However, right before it was returned to the blue eyed boy, Jae-Ha said cheerfully, "Well, let's test it."

He brought the scale to his lips and licked it. "Hm...it's sweet. Like sugar candy."

"How is it?" Yoon asked, suddenly bringing out a notepad as Li-Hua sighed. Was she the only sane one here? Glancing around at the rest of the group, it seemed as if they were just as transfixed on what was going on.

"I feel nothing in particular. It's a scam…" The last sentence was abruptly cut off as Jae-Ha nearly doubled over, emerald green eyes widening in panic as all of the group tensed. Yoon rushed over to him, followed by the others.

"Yoon, get an antidote ready," Li-Hua ordered, rushing towards him and catching Jae-Ha right before he fell. "Jae-Ha, hang in there. Yoon's making an antidote, so you just need to-"

"...I've been with plenty of women…" Jae-Ha murmured, cutting her off as his eyelids fluttered open. His emerald green eyes seemed to pierce straight through her as he pulled her closer. "..yet why is it that when I'm around you, I feel different?" He began pulling her closer, and soon they were so close that their noses were nearly touching. Li-Hua blinked, not sure what to make of this before her mind caught up with what was happening.

Not even three seconds later, Jae-Ha was pinned to the ground by Li-Hua's foot as she glowered down at him. "Yep, he's definitely alright."

"Ah…" Jae-Ha murmured, and the attention of the others was drawn in again as the green haired man blinked dizzily. "...Li?" The black haired woman gingerly removed her foot, although she was still watching him warily.

"It seems like he's recovered," Yoon noted as he wrote something in a notebook.

Jae-Ha suddenly jumped up and rushed off somewhere, leaving a trail of dust as Li-Hua blinked. "...what just happened?" She asked, but no one was listening as Hak suddenly looked up and his eyes narrowed. Then, without further warning, the black haired bodyguard began rushing off in the direction that Jae-Ha took off in.

"Yona," Yoon murmured as he followed the rest of the group who was running into the forest.

But when they had arrived, a sheepish looking Jae-Ha came rubbing the back of his head, giving them all a crooked grin. Before they could ask what happened, the green haired man explained, "I was about to give it to the princess, but instead I tripped over a tree root and...well…" He gestured to where Shin-Ah was, hiding behind a tree and watching Jae-Ha.

Li-Hua, however, was not fooled as she met Shin-Ah's eyes. The Blue Dragon was not a victim to the spells at all, and by the looks of it something else was gone. Jae-Ha's plans, whatever they were, were foiled as Yona came over to the group once she spotted Li-Hua. "What's the matter?"

"Ahaha, nothing," Jae-Ha tried to hide the mug of dissolved scale water behind his back, but the red haired princess brightened as she asked, "May I see that?" Sulkily, Jae-Ha gave up the jar as the princess looked at the water curiously.

"Is _this_ what you all were running around for?"

"Princess, don't try to-" Kija was interrupted too late as Yona tipped the water to her lips as the rest of the group lunged forward.

"Hey-"

"Don't-"

"Get out of my face-"

* * *

Shin-Ah watched his group with faint curiosity as the rest of the members blinked, realizing that they were completely soaked with water that had been spilled when they had attempted to stop Yona from drinking the love potion. Horror dawned in their eyes right before the love potion took over.

Yona took a hesitant step forward, her eyes downcast shyly and fingers twirling her hair as she stepped towards Li-Hua. "I know...that this love is wrong...but you've always been so brave, Li-Hua. I admire you so much, so please, will you accept my feelings?"  
Kija wailed something in the distance. "Princess, I'll love you no matter your sexual orientation~"

Li-Hua didn't seem to register the sudden confession, as her golden eyes widened when she turned to a certain handsome individual. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she looked to the side, inching close to him. "I haven't been very honest with you...it must have been because I was in denial, but...I love you…Hak."

Shin-Ah wanted to both bang his head against a tree and continue watching amusedly.

The black haired bodyguard was staring at someone else. "Kija…" He murmured. "I haven't ever seen his charm before, but if I think about it, he's as bright as the Sun."

"Shin-Ah." The call of his name made the blue haired man turn around. He saw Yoon, who looked even more girly as usual. He was twiddling with his fingers, trying to find the courage to confess to his one true love as Shin-Ah simultaneously wanted to bury himself in a hole. "I...really like you. You're kind, caring, and compassionate. You've helped me out when I was in trouble...and I really like you for that."

"Hak…" Li-Hua murmured, drawing close to the man as she hugged on to him from behind, breathing behind his neck. "You know me. You understand me. We both had to do the same things, and doesn't that just show how much we are destined to be together?"

"_Wait!_" Jae-Ha, who had previously been silent, held up his hand as everyone turned to look at him. His eyes burned passionately as he stared at Li-Hua and Hak. "You can't do this. I...even though it hasn't been long since we first met…" The man took in a deep breath.

Shin-Ah leaned in closer, ignoring Yoon who was clinging on to his arm.

"I love you…" Jae-Ha's face was earnest as he gave a crooked smirk to the pair.

"...Hak."

(It was needless to say that the entire group, sans Jae-Ha who wasn't very worried about misjudgements about his sexual orientation, was mortified the next day when Shin-Ah convinced Yoon to create an antidote. Had it not been for Shin-Ah and Yona's intervention, several proud individuals like Li-Hua and Kija would have hanged themselves out of embarrassment.)

* * *

**A/N: ...yes. I completely changed the love potion scene from a strange Kija orientated thing to uh...Akatsuki no Yona madness. How it got so long? I don't know. :) There was so much crack and humor in this chapter, but like some serious parts so idk what to do with myself.**

**I'll be on vacation for the next week starting Friday and probably won't have time to update or write, so I'm not sure how that's going to go. Who knows, inspiration might hit.**

**I love you all. Seriously. We have 71 follows, 46 favorites, and 37 reviews as of this time. Hooray! I can't believe this story got so popular. :) Your support keeps me going.**

**Uhhh I don't think there's anything else to say rather than thank you so much you lovely people~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I was torn on whether or not to keep this and proofread it again but finally I was all like screw it, they need an update so here it is. Apologies for any errors.**

* * *

"Wow!" Yoon's gasp caught everyone's attention as he leaned over the carcass of the fallen animal. "It's a fawn. Nice catch!"

"It _was_ difficult trying to jump while carrying it." Jae-Ha flipped his hair, giving a smirk towards Li-Hua to which the warrior looked away nonchalantly. The rest of the group began chattering about Jae-Ha's leg.

Jae-Ha's expression turned a little more solemn as he said, "Well, I made full use of this power as a boy to fly around Kouka." There was a far away look in the Green Dragon's eyes as he examined his scaly foot.

Kija suddenly stiffened as he remembered something. Stepping closer to Jae-Ha, he asked, "By the way, you ran away from the village of Ryokuryuu, right? Why?"

Jae-Ha crossed his arms around his chest as his cool gaze met the White Dragon's. "Why? Would you consider it acceptable if both of your hands and feet were bound by chains?" As everyone was taken aback, Li-Hua caught Jae-Ha's eye again. Her golden eyes stayed steadily on him, trying to discern how much of what the man was saying was truth, and how much were lies. Jae-Ha began to tell dramatically of his experience as a poor boy chained by his cruel villagers as everyone's attention began to drift off.  
Hak and Li-Hua exchanged skeptical looks.

"That's generally the fate of the Green Dragons as soon as they're born," Jae-Ha explained.

Li-Hua took this into consideration. Chains...from the beginning of their lives until the end. That was just too cruel. Unknownst to her, she didn't realize that her fists were clenched and hands trembling from both anger and sadness.

The three dragons began arguing about who could find Ouryuu, the last dragon, the fastest as Li-Hua drifted over to Yoon. "Do you need some help setting up for dinner?" She offered, and the strawberry blonde boy nodded.

"Do you know how to skin animals? Uh, if you're alright with that." Yoon scratched the back of his head embarrassedly.

"I'll be fine. Before I was any kind of government official, I was also a citizen of the Fire Tribe," Li-Hua reminded gently as she took the knife offered from Yoon and slung the dead carcass of the deer closer to the fire Hak had set up. Glancing at Yona, she asked, "Are you alright watching this?"

"...back in the castle, I never thought of all of the creatures that had to lose their lives for me to eat. Averting my eyes would be ignoring that this guy...was once alive," Yona answered firmly, clasping her hands together in a praying stance as Li-Hua helped Yoon skin the hide off. She was so bent over in her work that not until she heard talking Li-Hua looked up.

Li-Hua almost fell over in surprise. "Who's this?"

Yoon leaned over at the golden haired boy. "You're drooling...and your stomach is growling. Anyway, who are you?"

"Oh, no need to be concerned. Just passing through. Drool always comes out." The boy gave Yoon a wide, somewhat idiotic looking smile.

"Wipe it off!" Yoon scolded at the same time Li-Hua asked, "Why are you here?"

"There was a tasty smell. So I came~" The boy replied, an aura of sparkles and flowers innocently surrounding him as the two stared at him with deadpan expressions. "...it smells like meat and blood."

"Yoon, I'm going to go get some firewood or something," Li-Hua waved her hand dismissively towards the golden haired boy, who looked up from his position curled in a ball next to the fire. "Watch over..._him_. I leave things up to you." The strawberry blonde genius immediately saw through her words and scowled.

"You're abandoning _me_ to deal with these idiots?"

Pleasantly choosing to ignore Yoon's protests, Li-Hua gave a quick shrug as she walked into the woods. Her paces were quick, but constant and steady as she treaded deeper into the woods and away from the camp. The sound of water gushing from a stream could be heard from her left, and the Sun was nicely shaded by the towering willow trees over head. It was unusual for the Fire Tribe to have much vegetation, but that just meant that they had not reached the border separating the Earth and Fire Tribe yet.

Li-Hua didn't have to look behind her as she closed her eyes, a small chuckle of amusement escaping her lips. "So, Hakuryuu...White Dragon, what brings you to follow me here?"

"You are one of Yona's trusted companions," Kija said slowly, the silver haired man strangely hesitant about his words. "I trust the Princess, I really do. Us Dragons are here to protect Yona with our lives. Not just because of our duty as her Dragons, but as her friends. But can we trust _you_ to keep her safe? Hak had mentioned you had disappeared from your home without a moment's notice. What if you do the same to us?"

Li-Hua took this in thoughtfully, her golden eyes looking slightly bemused. "It seems as if I have misjudged you," she said, tapping a finger to her chin. "You are more astute than what I had originally credited you for. My answer to your questions...Yona and Hak are my friends, no matter how much Hak or I might deny it at times. I will do anything to make sure they are safe, but if I can not do that, I will do anything to keep from harming them."

"And will you _stay_ loyal to the Princess? To our group?" Kija pressed.

"My loyalties stand by my friends," Li-Hua answered evenly.

"You never answered my second question."

Li-Hua paused before a rueful smile reached her face. She shook her head softly, raven black locks shaking loose and slightly covering her face as Li-Hua said, "I can't promise that I will stay with this group. I _can't_, Kija. There are things I must do, people I must meet, and places I must visit. Yona hasn't realized the power that being ranked in a system like Kouka's gives you. I have the responsibility to help those who are trying to help the people politically, in higher ranks. They take on burdens too heavy for one to carry alone."

Casting a glance at the dimming sky, she gestured back towards the camp. "Let's return."

As they walked back to the camp in silence, Kija heard Li-Hua add quietly under her breath, "_But I really do wish I could stay a bit longer."_

* * *

"It's so...empty." Yona took a step into the village, her light purple eyes searching for signs of life. There were a few: a woman and her child, who quickly went inside once they spotted the stranger, a skinny man who looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks leaning against a wall, and a group of children playing with sticks and stones. The whole scene was so surreal: it was just that different from her childhood. Memories of playing hide and seek with a reluctant Hak, excited Soo-Won, and amused Li-Hua flickered through her mind.

The man who had been leaning against the wall suddenly coughed up red, scarlet blood. Yoon was the first to move, handing the man his flask of water and a bundle of food. "Please drink," he said as he tipped the water flask so it was angled above the man's lips.

The man nodded. "T-thank you. You're very kind."  
"How can anyone _live_ like this?" Yona asked in a horrified whisper as her fists clenched. This village was just one of the many scattered on the edges of the Fire Tribe territory, far away from the capitol. Li-Hua casted a glance over to the princess.

"The majority of the Fire Tribe live like this, Yona. I did too, before I came to guard Kan Kyo Ga," Li-Hua said, shoulders slumping as she exchanged a look with Hak. "While King Il was a wonderful father, I'm sure, as a ruler he allowed too much leniency to our enemies and the tribes. They started taking over or taxing us citizens even more as the economy began to fall, when we ourselves couldn't even muster up the money for food."

Her words were harsh, but to the point. Yona gritted her teeth. While she had never been hungry in her life, living in obliviousness at the castle, this sort of thing was going on? And Father allowed it?  
"Can we help these people, Hak?" Yona asked, turning to look at her bodyguard. "Is there any way?"

"Perhaps." Hak himself seemed unsure. Did the Wind Tribe have these kind of places as well? Yona wondered this as she turned away from the group.

"I...I need to use the restroom." Yona's hands were probably trembling, and she knew that both Li-Hua and Hak would immediately see through the lie. But she knew they wouldn't point it out, and as she walked away with shaky legs she could hear a conversation erupt behind her. Her vision was quickly clouding with tears as she turned a corner, hiding behind a wall as her lips trembled.

_Father…_

* * *

"Why did you _do _that?" Kija whirled furiously towards Li-Hua, who gave him one calculative look before sighing and standing up a tad bit straighter.

"Yona would have found out eventually. It's better now then later. Think about it...if she were to help these people for a long time and then find out that their suffering was due to her father, what would happen?" Li-Hua's question was met with silence as everyone's gazes shifted away. Surprisingly, there was one reaction that caught her gaze.

The blonde haired boy, Zeno, didn't have an uncomfortable look on his face. Unlike the rest of them, his face shifted between guilty and _bittersweet_, if that even made sense. The country's economic state couldn't be blamed on a person, so Li-Hua couldn't fathom why there was a sudden flash of emotion in Zeno's blue eyes at the explanation.

That moment was so quick, however, that whatever shrewdness the Yellow Dragon possessed quickly dissipated as he plastered on a somewhat sober grin on his face as he tried to cheer up his companions, telling Kija to smile.

"I never thought that Emperor Il was a good ruler...but he's still Yona's father." Jae-Ha said quietly. Yoon nodded his head, having returned from treating the man.

"I was a Fire Tribe citizen as well. If Ik-Soo had never taken me away, I'd probably be like these people too. Emperor Il never reached out to us...but Yona...she's always seen her father in a positive light." Yoon glanced over in the direction where Yona had ran off.

"Being Emperor Il's daughter is the only thing she still can be proud of," Hak said gravely as his eyes glanced around, warning everyone else that if they did anything else to upset his Princess, they'd suffer dire consequences.

It wasn't like any of them would. Yona was equally important to them as well. _Well, not equally,_ Li-Hua amended as she glanced over at Hak's tight face. A smirk threatened to form on her face as she struggled to push it down.

"Worried much, Thunder Beast?" Li-Hua couldn't help but ask. Her eyes danced with excitement as she licked her lips, grin clearly present on her face. The killing intent emanating from the black haired warrior must have spiked at least two times as the rest of the group began inching back.

"Wipe that smirk off of your face, Red Falcon," Hak retorted. "I am doing my duty as a bodyguard, and I know you understand that."  
"I hate that nickname," Li-Hua muttered sulkily. "I always liked the Dusk Bringer better."

"Dusk Bringer?" Kija tilted his head, not sure what to make of that epithet. "Why are you called that? And Red Falcon?" It was obvious that the silver haired man was a little lost in the conversation. Yoon, Shin-Ah, and Jae-Ha looked over, somewhat curious as well.

"I'm called by many names," Li-Hua shrugged. "Not one of them stuck. The Fire Tribe's dog, the Shield...really, titles mean nothing if you don't live up to it."

"She was called," Hak interrupted, obsidian eyes watching Li-Hua warily. "The Dusk Bringer because she was the one who ended the battles, as dusk brings the end of the day. She was the Fire Tribe's trump card. The name the Red Falcon, however, is more due to her abilities. In battle, Li Hui Zhong was known to be-"

"-a leader who was able to protect her men," Yona said firmly, stepping near the group as everyone stiffened. Hak twitched at the interruption, but did not continue as he let the Princess talk. "Li-Hua is our friend, Hak, and I beg of you not to slander her."

"You _know_ how unreliable she is, Princess." Hak turned to the red haired girl. "I trust her not to put a knife in our back, but even _she_ has to admit her loyalties are fickle. Except to _him_. She'll probably head off somewhere else during the night and we'll wake up the next morning with an empty cot next to us."

"That does sound like me," Li-Hua said thoughtfully as Yona facepalmed, sending the girl a look that spelled _you-are-not-helping_. A smirk graced her lips as dramatically, Li-Hua sighed and put an arm around Yona's shoulders. "However, Hak, you've forgotten that I am no longer bounded to anyone."

"And just because of the lack of a leash, you won't return?" Hak raised his eyebrows, scowling. Li-Hua returned the look with an equally fierce glare. The eyes of both predators met, and with the pride of warriors, they refused to break off their gaze until Jae-Ha interfered.

"Now, now, Thunder Beast." Jae-Ha broke the two apart. "What happened to the amicable mood you two were travelling with around Awa before? Hasn't anyone taught you to be more tactful than this? You of all people should know how to treat women gently. Especially women you already know."

"It's _because_ I know how she's like that I'm so suspicious." Hak grumbled, but Li-Hua sent him a winning smile.

"_Yes,_ Hak, please do be gentle with me," Li-Hua said delicately as Hak gave her a funny look. Li-Hua caught Yona's gaze as the two girls dissolved into a fit of giggles, which soon turned into disguised coughs as Hak glared at them. "I-I'm sorry, that was too good to resist." Li-Hua snorted. "Hak? _Gentle?_ Only with Yona."

"I attest to that," Yoon muttered. Behind him, Kija nodded and Jae-Ha gave a neutral shrug. Yona tilted her head confusedly, not sure what exactly was going on.

"Oi, why are you all ganging up on me?" Hak's complaint was left unanswered.

"Zeno thinks that we should do something fun!" Zeno waved his hands wildly. "Blue Dragon hasn't been talking very much!"

Shin-Ah, who had been awkwardly loitering to the side of the conversation, looked up at the sound of his name as he quickly shrank back from the attention. "I'm fine," he muttered quietly.

"Nonsense, Blue Dragon. I insist, as your fellow Dragon Warrior, that-" Jae-Ha's theateratics were cut off by Li-Hua, who was frankly unamused.

"Let's all leave Shin-Ah alone now. If he doesn't want to talk, he doesn't want to talk," Li-Hua pointed out, emphasizing a bit with the shy man. Shin-Ah sent her a thankful look, the sight of his posture relaxing slightly being enough to tell that her words had soothed him somewhat.

"At least someone in the group has common sense," Yoon said with relief as Yona nodded. Making sure that everyone was listening, Yoon continued, "Anyways, our first goal has been reached. We've gathered the four dragons. Now, there's still one thing that's been on my mind. Ik-Soo's prophecy."

"Remind me again, what prophecy?" Li-Hua piped up. "Hak probably forgot to mention it while talking to me."

"Ah, I forgot that you were new, Li-Hua." Yona gasped. "Yoon's caretaker, Ik-Soo, was a priest who could talk to the gods. He's a very kind man, and Yoon really misses him."

"_Anyways_," Yoon cleared his throat, face burning slightly pink. "The prophecy went like this: _Darkness has fallen upon the land. The blood of the dragons will revive once again, and the ancient pact will be kept. When the four dragons are gathered, the sword and shield which will protect the king shall awaken, and the Red Dragon shall be restored from the dawn at last."_

Yoon paused at the applause from his groupmates, who were all quite impressed by the pretty boy's memory, and shot them an annoyed look before continuing. "According to the prophecy, once the Four Dragons have finished gathering, the sword and shield are supposed to awaken. I think the king it's referring to is Yona, but is it saying we need to go find a sword and a shield that Yona is supposed to use? But if the king it's referring to is King Soo-Won, we'll have to rethink what we should do."

Yona, Li-Hua, and Hak flinched at the mention of their former companion. Stepping up, Li-Hua was about to speak before Kija cut her off. "That man is a traitor who took the throne by force and expelled the Princess from the castle. He is not the true king. Even if Soo-Won is the king from the prophecy, if he uses the sword and shield to form military preparations in order to conduct country expansions...we dragons will fight to correct that injustice." Kija's eyes were genuine and passionate as he spoke.

On the other hand, Li-Hua seemed to be growing more and more impatient as the White Dragon spoke. Turning to Yona, she murmured a quick apology, "I need to think for a little."

"Go ahead," Yona whispered, her eyes flashing with a bit of concern as she watched her friend pace away.

* * *

"Princess, why did _that woman_ just leave? Such disrespect towards you can not be left unsaid," Kija protested.

"Kija, please do try to be kind to Li-Hua. Out of the three of us...as much as it pains me to admit it, Li-Hua was probably the closest to Soo-Won." Yona bit her lip, struggling with her own emotions. Before _that_ incident had occurred, Yona had loved Soo-Won with all the love a naive sixteen year old could give. But even then, the red haired princess acknowledged the fact that Li-Hua knew Soo-Won better than she did, and the black haired woman always would. However, at the time Yona had reasoned that Li-Hua was her friend and wouldn't betray her in any way, especially in her conquest of love.

Now, looking back, Yona could conclude that she was an idiot. There was a tiny flicker of emotion in the smallest portion of her heart that wanted to forgive Soo-Won despite what he did. Her father, her kind, always smiling father...and Soo-Won, the person that she loved. The struggle to choose between acceptance and vengeance was tearing her apart.

But if Yona was feeling that, then what was Li-Hua feeling? Having known Soo-Won the best of them, she must have had some thoughts about Yona's cousin.

"She cares about him, and that kind of feeling can't just disappear because of one deed. Hak and I are different. While Li-Hua was closer to Soo-Won and must understand his perspective, we only know what we know." Yona concluded, suddenly wanting to just lay her head on Hak's shoulder. She suddenly felt so tired, so mentally worn out.

Why did things have to change? A voice, a memory so distant echoed in her mind.

"_The people are suffering, Yona."_

The funny thing was that Yona couldn't recall whether it was Soo-Won or Li-Hua who had told her that first.

* * *

**A/N: I started an Akatsuki no Yona forum. It's my first time making one so idk if I did it right, but I'd like it if you all participated. :)**

**Also, if anyone has read my profile, I am super busy right now. Despite it being holiday season. Blegh. I will try my best, but really RL is just mehhhh. This chapter was just establishing a little bit more on Li-Hua's views of Soo-Won and her relations with the rest of the group.**

**Ah, another thing. Would anyone be interested in some of the cut scenes that I've cut out of the story probably due to lack of flow or plot? Cause I have an abundance of those and I find a lot of them hilarious.**

**Ooh, and a few fun facts:**

**1) Li-Hua originally was going to be from the Wind Tribe and would have been an orphan that was taken in just like Hak. That idea went nowhere though.**

**2) This story was originally going to start during the Fire Tribe arc. Those who've read the manga know what I'm talking about. Then I decided to change the beginning to Awa, so I have a leftover scene originally written for the Fire Tribe arc that I had to delete.**

**3) Originally this was going to be just Jae-Ha/OC.**

**That's about all. I really appreciate all of your support. Seriously. I notice every single person who's added this story to their favorites or follow list (haha...I'm not stalkerish at all...just appreciative...) and I definitely re-read all of the reviews like everyday to keep me writing. So yeah. Thank you so much.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading/reviewing/favorite-ing/following! Until next time~**


	11. Chapter 11: Christmas Special

**A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS (TO THOSE THAT CELEBRATE IT!)!**

**I wrote this all yesterday and today. I've never felt so inspired before. A flashback, a cheers, and a thanks to all of my darling readers, favorite-ers, followers, and especially reviewers.**

** I just realized how much of an adorable marshmallow Tae-Jun is. Originally I was planning on writing the present Heaven's Day (my AnY version of Christmas) with the Happy Hungry Bunch but there just wasn't enough time, so sorry. Just to give a comparison of everyone's ages:**

**Flashback Ages (3 years ago)**

**Yona - 13  
****Li-Hua - 19  
****Soo-Won - 16  
****Hak - 15  
****Tae-Jun - 15**

* * *

"Hak, do you think my hair looks good?" Yona fretted as she combed her long, scarlet red hair again. They were walking through one of the many hallways in the palace, but this one was different. It led to the outer gates of the castle, where Hak and Yona would welcome their guests and friends alike. Yona was wearing especially chosen and tailored clothes just for the occasion.

"You'll be fine," Hak grumbled. "Besides, no one would pay a clumsy princess like you any mind anyways." That comment earned him a smack.

Today was the day that King Hiryuu descended from his place in the heavens. Despite Emperor Il not liking useless celebrations over minor holidays, Heaven's Day was a holiday celebrated throughout the kingdom. It was the day that marked the beginning of their nation, their official start.

It was a tradition for people to give gifts on this day, all to remember the man who had founded their country. Beautiful lanterns and lights would be hung up, as the palace servants had been working on furiously for the past three days, and music and food would be in abundance tonight.

Yona was personally brimming with excitement. This year was going to be slightly different. Most of the Generals were going to arrive at the palace along with their entourage, even though in past years they had chosen to stay at their own tribes. The Wind Tribe was the first to arrive as they came in the early morning, and thus Yona had a wonderful reunion with Lord Mundok. The Fire Tribe nobles (including Kan Tae Jun, much to Yona's displeasure) would be arriving shortly and she heard the Earth Tribe would be coming as well. The Water Tribe, as usual, had declined to come.

But Yona hadn't paid that any mind. The thing that was so exciting about their guests was that not only Li-Hua, who she hadn't seen in months, but _Soo-Won_ would be coming!

Just the thought of the four of them together again made the thirteen year old girl want to throw her arms around the person nearest to her, but quickly glancing over and realizing it was Hak, Yona restrained herself. Besides, she was a Princess. Princesses had to be cute and girly, but not spontaneous.

Recognizing a mane of blonde hair, Yona's face brightened as she quickly raced over and threw her arms around her cousin, exclaiming, "Soo-Won! You're here early!"

The blonde laughed somewhat nervously, gently prying away Yona's arms as he patted her head. "Yes, I am. Father managed to scare our driver enough so that we would get here before the celebration begins. Where's Hak?"

At that question, Yona turned around to look for the always present bodyguard, but to her surprise she found that he was not there. Looking a little more thoroughly, she saw Hak talking to another familiar figure. Her face lightened up as she nudged Soo-Won. "Look, Li-Hua!"

The two warriors, both who had been in deep discussion, looked up. Li-Hua, recognizing Yona, started walking towards her and Soo-Won with Hak in tow. "Princess Yona," she acknowledged, bowing deeply. Bowing again, she murmured, "Lord Soo-Won." Straightening up, the black haired girl gave them both a smirk. "You've grown taller, Yona," she commented idly.

"I have? Oh, yes. The tailor did mention that when she was making my clothes," Yona said thoughtfully.

Turning to Soo-Won, Li-Hua simply said, "You look well."

His eyes crinkled with understanding as Soo-Won said swiftly, "As do you."

Feeling slightly put out by their small exchange, Yona pouted. She turned to Hak and asked, "What were you and Li-Hua talking about? You both looked quite serious over there."

Hak shrugged nonchalantly, shifting the position of his Hsu Quandao from his left shoulder to his right shoulder. "We were talking about how we should duel later," he answered, and Yona rolled her eyes.

"You two are always about dueling, dueling, dueling. And Soo-Won joins in a lot too. Father doesn't even allow me to pick up a sword," Yona pouted.

"It's probably better that way," Hak said dryly. "You'd probably lop off the head of some poor guy who was walking past."  
"And if you continue saying that, Hak, _you'll_ be that poor guy," Yona threatened. At the retort, both Li-Hua and Soo-Won cracked a smile as they exchanged amused glances. The two were the same as ever. Turning back to her other two friends, Yona asked, "How long are you two staying?"

"Three nights," Soo-Won replied easily. "Father does not want to overstay his welcome or seem too rash."

"Two nights," Li-Hua answered, shrugging. "It takes time to get back to the Fire Tribe from here. We leave at dawn on the third day."

"Hm, so the four of us will be together for today and tomorrow for sure." Yona's lips turned downwards into a small frown. "I wish that we could have more time together, but I suppose that'll suffice for now. Perhaps we can ask for Kan Kyo Ga to extend his stay, Li-Hua."

"You'd have to go through my lord's father, I presume," Li-Hua replied, lowering her eyes. "Please do not trouble them, Princess."

"Call me _Yona_. We're friends."

"Of different stations," Li-Hua reminded.

Looking at Yona's dejected look, Soo-Won intervened. "Li, just go along with it. You can't disobey a princess's orders." He added the second statement quickly after his first when he saw that the black haired girl was not going to oblige.

"I suppose so." Li-Hua snuck a glance at Hak, who looked neutral as he obviously took a step backward. _I'm staying out of this_, the motion seemed to say. Traitor. "Yona, do you mind if we move inside the palace? It seems as if we are drawing the attention of everyone else." Indeed, there were several Fire Tribe nobles who were staring at the group suspiciously. "Lord Kan Kyo Ga has allowed me to leave his side for the moment and join you all during the festivities."

A figure with light taupe hair and brown eyes made his way to the group, and instinctively Li-Hua bowed. "Lord Kan Tae-Jun."

Tae-Jun was focused completely on Yona. "Princess, you look as beautiful as always," he stammered. "Thank you for hosting this gracious party and allowing my family to attend."

"You're welcome." Yona inched a little closer to Hak.

"Would you like to accompany me on a walk? I'm sure the palace is just as beautiful as I remember it, and…" Tae-Jun began to ramble nonsensically as Li-Hua withheld a sigh at the sight of her superior turning into a bumbling idiot.

"Lord Tae-Jun," Soo-Won said smoothly, saving the boy from rambling even more and looking like more of an idiot around his crush. "Yona and Hak were about to give Li-Hua and I a tour around the palace and such. Would you like to join us?" Behind Tae-Jun, Li-Hua sent Soo-Won a thankful look as she bowed her head once in thanks.

"O-oh, can I?" Tae-Jun looked adorably hopeful as Yona crushed his hopes with a single word:  
"No!" Realizing her outburst, the red haired princess quickly amended, "I haven't seen Li-Hua and Soo-Won in months, Lord Tae-Jun. With all to respect, I'd like to spend some time with just the four of us as we rarely see each other as it is."

Pausing and considering the notion, Tae-Jun nodded sullenly in agreement, turning around and walking away while looking like a defeated puppy, head downcast and body slumped.

Feeling the disapproving gazes of the other three group members, Yona rolled her eyes and bit out irritably, "Oh, alright. Tae-Jun can join us."

The leaving figure suddenly stiffened in his tracks and slowly turned around, a small light of joy illuminating his face as he quickly rushed over to the princess. "R-really?" Tae-Jun asked hopefully.

"Really."

"T-thank you, Princess, for your generosity."

* * *

Li-Hua gave a small smile at the exchange. Lord Tae-Jun was two years older than Yona at currently fifteen, which meant that Li-Hua was four years older than the lord. It was a running joke that Hak loved to tease Yona about: the red haired princess would always be the youngest in their group of four. Hak was two years older than her as well, at fifteen. Soo-Won was sixteen, and Li-Hua was nineteen.

It was an interesting thought. Li-Hua was older than Yona by six years, yet still she was able to connect with the girl fairly easily. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Yona acted somewhat like Li-Hua's younger sister. Once, Yona had asked if Li-Hua liked older or younger guys better. That question had almost made Li-Hua choke on her stick of dango at the time, and after that Li-Hua was always cautious around Yona. The girl was under the impression that because they were both girls she was free to ask as many embarrassing questions as she wanted.

"How are you doing?" She questioned Soo-Won solemnly.

"Well enough." As if realizing that his response wasn't adequate enough, Soo-Won added, "I've taken an interest in _ougi_. It's quite interesting." The Kouka version of chess had long been a favorite game for the lords to play every year on Heaven's Day. It was a game that Li-Hua had always lost in, only because she was always too focused on the opponent's Queen.

Mundok had been the one to beat her last year, and she could still remember his advice. "_You focus too much on the most powerful piece, Li-Hua. A king is as strong as his people, and even a pawn can transform to become something powerful given the right strategy."_

Li-Hua had taken Mundok's Queen, but he had managed to put her in checkmate three moves after with a simple pawn, bishop, and knight. It was a valuable lesson, and one that Li-Hua hoped she could learn from.

"Haven't you always liked old man games like that, though?" Li-Hua questioned humorously, a wry smile reaching her face.

"It's not an _old man's game_." Soo-Won rolled his eyes, pouting. "And if you'd join _me_ instead of Kan Kyo Ga, I can show you just how good I am at _ougi_. Why do you stick with him and his gruff father, anyways?"

"You never answered my question." Li-Hua pointed out drolly.

"Neither did you," Soo-Won countered cheerfully, and although his face was pulled into a relax smile as it often was with Li-Hua, there was a slight shift of emotions in his eyes as they glinted almost like a predator's. But soon enough, the rare flash of intelligence vanished as Soo-Won sighed, leaning just a little closer to her. "I missed you."

Li-Hua's expression, which had been carefully guarded, softened the slightest fraction as unconsciously, she moved so that they were standing side by side. "As have I."

"I heard that you've lead your men to victory again. Has King Il not reprimanded the Fire Tribe for making such taciturn moves yet?" Soo-Won questioned. "We are in a shaky state of peace with Xing and Sei at the moment. They underestimate us."

"My lord will make the emperor see reason," Li-Hua murmured, eyes transfixed on the ground. "We do not move fast: we slowly corner their forces and force them into giving Kouka back our rightful land piece by piece."

"Why Xing and Sei, though? Why not the Kai Empire, which lies so much closer to the Fire Tribe?" Soo-Won pursued, his eyes flashing with curiosity. It made no sense for the Fire Tribe, which was on the North end of Kouka, to bring troops all the way to Xing and Sei, which were South of Kouka. If their goal was to earn back land, then the closest place to them would be the Kai Empire. True, it could be because the Fire Tribe didn't feel as if they had the manpower to defeat the giant Empire yet, but even so if they attacked _Xing and Sei_, their capital would be left undefended and susceptible to an attack.

Li-Hua's expression returned to its guarded form as she gave the most honest answer she could: "I honestly don't know. The higher ups haven't informed me. I just follow orders."

"Without knowing the reasoning behind those orders?" Soo-Won's tone was much more serious this time, although he kept his question hushed as he glanced up to make sure no one else was listening.

"Soo-Won." The lack of formality made the man truly look back at his companion as Li-Hua gave him a flat look. "I do not wish to think about these kind of things right now. Today is a day for us in Kouka to rejoice over the fact that our nation has lived for this long."

As if realizing what he was doing, Soo-Won quickly plastered an unsuspecting grin on his face as he turned to Yona. "Well, Yona-_hime_, are we going to walk around the palace now?"

The girl, who had been scolding Hak for glaring at Tae-Jun too much, blinked in surprise before a wide smile spread over her face. "Of course! Come this way, I'll bring you to the courtyard."

As the group walked through the hallway, admiring the scarlet red tapestries that had been hung up in honor of King Hiryuu and the multiple strings of lanterns that had been hung up by the palace servants, Yona chattered on about the celebration. "The cooks have been cooking non stop, I've been told," Yona said. "Food from all over Kouka: fish from the ports in the Earth Tribe, tea imported from the Kai Empire, and tons of meat and vegetables that the merchants brought in."

Tae-Jun was eagerly soaking in all of the information, looking so starstruck that he probably wasn't actually listening to what Yona was saying. Hak, on the other hand, just looked annoyed.

Li-Hua walked along, cracking an amused smile at the trio as she was heavily aware of Soo-Won's presence beside her. "It's nice like this," she murmured. "But all good things must end eventually."

"Who was the one to tell me not to think that way?" Soo-Won chided under his breath.

"True enough." Li-Hua allowed.

"Ah, Li!" Yona brightened, and hastily the girl rushed forward and pulled on the black haired warrior's hand. "You must wear better clothes than that to the celebration! The best musicians in Kouka have been called to play music for the dance. Come, I'll call the tailor and see if we can get a dress ready for you."

"Eh?" As if realizing that the Princess was dragging her by the arm to what must be over to where Yona's room was, Li-Hua sent a pleading glance back two the other three men. Hak gave her an amused smirk, obviously not going to help as he leaned against a wooden post and watched his companion be dragged off to her doom. Soo-Won, on the other hand, waved a cheerful goodbye to her. Tae-Jun was torn between looking jealous and looking resigned that Yona had abandoned him yet again.

...well, the traitors. A scowl touched Li-Hua's face as she found herself being measured by a rather busty woman who was fretting about her measurements. "Skinny, check. Her shoulders are a little too wide for a dainty girl, but we can adjust that," the woman muttered under her breath as she gave a nod towards the Princess. "We can finish. Give us a few hours."

"Really?" Yona looked more thrilled than Li-Hua, who did not look at all delighted. She clapped her hands together as she said brightly, "Thank you."

"Thank you," Li-Hua echoed, bowing her head at the woman as the tailor snorted and shooed them away.

* * *

Yona and Li-Hua were walking back to where they had left their other companions when they heard a loud _rip_ and an infuriated scream come from the room behind them. Quickly, they rushed back to find a furious tailor and a cringing Tae-Jun. The woman was berating him as she was holding up a beautiful looking fabric, presumably for Li-Hua's dress, that looked soaking wet.

"...we left for less than an hour. What happened?" Li-Hua groaned as she smacked her head. Glancing at Tae-Jun, she prompted, "My lord?"

"I was looking for the Princess to share with her this new drink my father brought for the celebration." At Yona and Li-Hua's flat looks Tae-Jun added quickly, "It's non-alcoholic. But I might have accidentally tripped and poured it over this miss instead…"

"Are you alright?" Li-Hua asked hurriedly, turning to the woman.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine." The woman grumbled. "But now the fabric is ruined! Do you _know_ how much that cost, young man?"

"My lord is the son of the Fire Tribe general," Li-Hua said swiftly. "We will compensate for the cost."

"But miss," the tailor turned to Yona with a small frown on her face. "There's no other fabric that we have in stock at the moment. Everything's gone. We won't be able to make a dress without proper material."

Yona thought about it for a bit, her amethyst eyes looking up at the ceiling as her mind raced. She asked, "Can we adjust one of my dresses to fit her?"

"No. She's much taller than you, Princess, and either way we don't have extra material to lengthen it."

"What about one of my mother's old gowns?" Yona suggested boldly as the tailor gasped. Li-Hua stiffened as well as she glanced over at the red haired princess. What was she thinking? Tae-Jun had fallen oddly silent, obviously mournful over looking idiotic in front of the princess again.

"B-but, with all due respect, my lady-"

"It's fine," Yona said, smiling. "I give you the permission to look through my mother's wardrobe. She wouldn't want all those fine gowns to go to waste anyways, and I'm sure Li can look good in one of them. If anyone stops you, just tell them that Princess Yona wants her friend to wear a proper gown to the celebration."

The woman glanced nervously in the direction of the queen's quarters before looking back at the hopeful princess before she sighed, shoulders slumping defeatedly. "Very well. Girl, come with me. You're very lucky the Princess has allowed this, you know."

"I know," Li-Hua mumbled sullenly. The woman opened the door to the room that must have been where Yona's mother once lived. It looked unused, but obviously there was still somebody cleaning the room as there was no sign of dust as Li-Hua observed the room. The tailor stepped inside boldly, walking up to the drawers as she rummaged through them for something that would fit Li-Hua's physique and skin tone.

Finally, she pulled out a beautiful maroon ballgown that inwardly made Li-Hua want to wince. Although it was beautiful, with intricate floral designs and swirls, along with silky ribbons that threaded in and out of the fabric, the poofyness of the skirt seemed impractical. The tailor noticed Li-Hua's scowl and with an amused smile put back the dress and instead took out a similar colored one.

"How about this one?"

The dress would probably reach Li-Hua's ankles. The sleeves and skirt were adorned with ruffles at the ends, and it was a beautiful dark red color with small traces of black ribbons and lace threading throughout the skirt. The neckline dipped a little too low for her comfort, but that could be adjusted. It was alright, Li-Hua admitted grudgingly, but she was never one for doing anything very flashy when it came to fashion anyways.

Seeing acceptance flash in the warrior's eyes, the tailor nodded approvingly. "It is beautiful, my dear, and although there are a few adjustments to be made, I'm sure you'll look stunning."

"Thank you," Li-Hua said politely.

"And perhaps you'll catch the eye of one of those handsome young men you were with earlier," the tailor added slyly, making Li-Hua almost choke on air. After coughing for a few moments, Li-Hua regained her composure.

"I'm afraid that none of us are like that, madame."

"Hm, I see." The woman hummed thoughtfully. "Well, by the way Lord Soo-Won was looking at you, I'd say that there's going to be _something_ sooner or later."

Li-Hua choked again.

* * *

Laughter, lights, music. It was the perfect weather for an outdoor celebration, and the royal family took every advantage of that. The celebration was set up in the courtyard. Lanterns hung from strings that ran from the tall pillars of one side of the palace walls to the pillars on the other. Above them was the open night sky, and it happened that it was a full moon that night.

The audience and partygoers hushed as a man, dressed in a traditional but formal blue kimono, walked up to the group of seated musicians. He raised his hands in the air as all of the musicians got in position, and with one deft movement of his hands the musicians began playing.

The dance had begun.

It was halfway through the first song that Soo-Won was finally able to find Li-Hua, who had been leaning against a pillar contentedly as she watched people join the festivities. She was clad in one of the empress's old dresses, and Soo-Won couldn't help but admit that the red color fit Li-Hua much better than the late empress, although he would never say that out loud.

"You look beautiful," the compliment easily slipped out of his mouth.

Li-Hua raised her eyebrows at the sudden compliment, but he knew she couldn't deny that there was a slight pleasure than reflected in her eyes at the comment. "Thank you. As do you."

He was dressed in a traditional outfit, the color scheme quite similar to his normal white and blue dress. This outfit was a little more formal, being less loose and more refined, but Soo-Won personally preferred his regular outfit.

"Dance with me?" He held out his hand, a smirk playing on his face. "It's such a waste if someone as beautiful as you stays out here."

Her lips quirked upwards as she sighed, resigning herself to her fate as she took his outstretched hand. "You really do know the right words to say to a lady. Charming, some may call it. Others may also deem you as manipulative."

"Touche, my lady," he said dramatically, pretending to be physically hurt by her words. "Will you not bless me with a dance?"

"Even though my very nature tells me to deny your invitation, I must uphold the reputation of a lady," Li-Hua mock sighed as she reluctantly took his hand. She was aware that both her and Soo-Won must have been wearing silly grins as there were several ambassadors who looked their way strangely, but nothing really mattered.

Soo-Won led her to a more open space as they began to move in synchronization. "It's beautiful tonight," he murmured.

"It is."

"Maa, Li, you're really just as cruel as ever," Soo-Won pouted as he pulled her to match the next move of the dance. "Not even a word about my skill at dancing."

"Or, your lack of aptitude in the skill," Li-Hua pointed out as she winced, Soo-Won's foot accidentally stepping on hers.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry. I wasn't paying attention. I'll do it better this time," Soo-Won started focusing more on his feet as his eyes narrowed, determined. His eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. He looked so much like a small child who was focused on something of interest that Li-Hua couldn't help but chuckle. "Eh? What's the matter?"

They separated hands as both of them circled around the other, twirling in a circle. It took Li-Hua a moment to catch her breath before she answered.

"You change so quickly," she commented, golden eyes blinking. She stopped talking momentarily as she joined hands with Soo-Won. "Between you...and _you_."

"I'm afraid you make no sense, Li," Soo-Won rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, he met her flat eyes. Dropping the facade, he gave a weary sigh as he twirled Li-Hua around. "You know me too well."

"It comes with the package of being childhood friends." Pausing at that notion, Li-Hua amended, "Well, _sort of_ childhood friends. It's not like we knew each other that well." They quieted as the music began to speed up, and hastily they switched stances as they twirled around with the beat.

"Let's call ourselves _kindred spirits_, now shall we?" Soo-Won gave her a gentle smile as they moved to do the final move of the dance. Soo-Won pulled Li-Hua close to his chest as she let herself fall backward and tilt her head towards the sky, him supporting the stance with one hand and grasping her other hand tightly as the music came to a close.  
It was exhilarating, Li-Hua admitted as she stared up at the night sky for a moment before standing upright again as Soo-Won gently raised her head back up. "We're whatever you want us to be, Soo-Won. Allies, acquaintances…"

"Friends?" He suggested, and Li-Hua paused for a moment before a smile graced her features as she confirmed, "Friends."

"Hm…" Soo-Won hummed contemplatively before the glint in his eyes turned mischievous. His blue eyes were painfully perceptive as he said simply, "I got you a present."

Li-Hua froze, her mouth dropping just the slightest bit as a bit of excitement colored her face a healthy pink as she flushed. She was never one to expect or receive presents. "You didn't have to."

"But I did." Soo-Won pulled out something from his pocket as Li-Hua peered over his shoulder in curiosity. "I thought you wouldn't want materialistic things like jewelry again, so instead I got this made. You don't have to take it if you don't want to, because it's certainly not as fancy as-"

"It's beautiful, Soo-Won. Thank you," Li-Hua cut off, her eyes warm as she stared at the picture in front of her. It was a portrait about the size of her palm. She and Soo-Won were sprawled on the ground, both focused on an intense game of checkers while Hak and Yona were sitting on the sofa. Yona was asleep and leaning on a blushing Hak's shoulder. "How did you get this, though?"

"I hired an artist to follow us one day. It took forever before all of us were still enough for him to paint, though." Soo-Won answered, eyes reminiscent as he laughed awkwardly. "That was a pain."

"Ah, right. I was wondering why you kept insisting on playing board games despite the fact you knew Yona would get bored and fall asleep." Changing the subject, she fidgeted for a moment before grabbing a box that had been laying on one of the tables. She had put it there earlier in the day so she wouldn't forget. Handing it to Soo-Won, she watched as he opened it with curious eyes. Excuses already piled out of her mouth as she stumbled over her words, "It's not nearly as sentimental as yours, and probably still costs a lot less compared to hiring an artist, but I thought you'd like something to confide to when I'm not there. N-not that I think that you tell me everything, but when there's times that are hard and you can't rely on anyone, you can write your thoughts in there."

Soo-Won looked at the notebook, prim and proper with a pure silver lined backing, for a long moment. Something flashed in his eyes, an emotion that she couldn't quite identify, before turning to Li-Hua and giving her a warm smile. "Thank you, Li-Hua."

"Of course." She sent him a brilliant smile back.

* * *

**A/N: Apologies to Jae-Ha fans lol. I love him too, but there just wasn't enough time to write the present day Heaven's Day celebration. I wanted to include more Zeno too... :(**

**This is a time for me to thank every single person I can for this story:**

**Thank you to my favorite-ers. I notice every single addition, trust me, and although I'd like to write all your names here, it failed. Epically. And twisted the word count more than this A/N is already. I love you people.**

**Thank you to my followers. To think that anyone would want to see if my story has updated is enough to put a smile on my face, and as I said about my followers I literally notice every single person who clicks it. (Ahahaha, that wasn't supposed to sound stalkerish so I'msupersorryifitdid...)**

**Thank you to my readers. Thank you to those who don't have an account yet still check out my story anyways (even more to you darlings who still review, I really appreciate it and wish I can reply). Thank you to those who even look at this story.**

**And lastly, thank you so much to my reviewers. There is nothing more encouraging to an author...nah, to _me_ when I see that someone's taken the time to say anything about my story cause trust me, I can get just as lazy or busy enough not to review a story even though it's one of my favorite(s). Thank you to all of the Guests, Startime101, Ita-chan18 (especially, you wonderful person even though I'm a horrible reviewer and stuff. I shall review your stories, I swear), gingersnapbunny, Himeno Kazehito, Ryu Sayuri (do you know how much I squeal when I see that someone else fangirls about this too? ily), JaceSienna98, Just-An-Average-Dude, Roxanne Tacogirl (your reviews have always encouraged me so much), JDominique37 (sempai~ thank you for reviewing even though I know your stories are leagues away from mine~), mutedsymphony (uwah, your reviews have made me so happy), colouredred (I was a big fan of one of your stories and never realized till now, lol ty), ddmahan922 (no one has ever thanked me for updating until now. srsly. ily), Yorukifon (I swear I shall update Infinite Bloom sometime...), RKamelot, and NightlyRowenTree.**

**...wow. It overwhelms me to write down all of those names and to think that anyone actually cares about this story.**

**But, seriously, guys. Thank you so much for all your support, and have a merry Christmas. :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It's still 12/31 where I am in California~ Happy New Years everyone! Hope you enjoy the chapter. ;)**

* * *

"_Huh? Why's the bitch so quiet? Hey, hey, what happened to that high and mighty attitude from earlier? Aren't you going to start begging for mercy yet?"_

"_Those nobles don't even like you anyways. They just use you, and now they're discarding you because you've become too powerful for a tool. They set you up. You hear me? They set you up."_

"_Heh, your lord? He's not even aware that you're with us. Missing in action during a simple espionage mission, they're telling everyone. You have no hope. No one will save you. Now fucking scream already."_

"_Aw, is the little baby throwing a temper tantrum? She doesn't want to….h-hey, holy shit. What the hell's going on out there? They're fucking screaming. Hey, you. Yeah, bitch. Stay in here and don't scream, cry, or make any noise. Or later I'll give you a reason to cry. The higher ups say I can kill you once we get enough out of you. You hear that? Dead. You'll be dead."_

* * *

It was decided that the group was to head to Ik-Soo, Yoon's caretaker, in order to see what they were supposed to do next. The priest must have been quite knowledgable if he had earned both Yona and Hak's trust as well, and thus the other group members trusted their leader's judgement. However, there was a slight problem with their plan.

Although they were journeying close to the Earth-Fire border, heading back to where Ik-Soo lived would take them back to the Wind Tribe area. It was obvious no one knew exactly what to do, so finally when Li-Hua had returned and heard of the decision she suggested that she would leave the group.

"I'm heading into the Fire Tribe, you all are heading to the Wind Tribe. I find no need for myself to be present to hear a prophecy as I'm not one of the Four Dragons and thus it does not concern me," Li-Hua reasoned.

The others, however, were much less content with this decision. "We _just_ reunited with you," Yona protested. "You can't just leave again. Who knows when we might see each other again?"

"And you're already a part of our group, although some individuals may beg to differ," Jae-Ha added, eyes flickering over to a stoic Hak and an unsure Kija, who was torn between wanting the suspicious woman to leave and wanting to keep the Princess a female companion and friend. "The group dynamics will be ruined. Plus, we all know that you'd miss seeing my handsome face~"

He swiftly dodged a kick aimed for said body feature.

"I'll be fine, and you all can manage," Li-Hua dismissed. Glancing over at Yona, she added a little more quietly, "However, if you wish to seek me again, I will probably be around Saika for a while to sort things out with Lord Kan Kyo Ga. If not, talk to the bartenders around town. They all know me and know how to get the word back to me that you're looking for me."

"But Li-Hua…" Yona's protests died out on her lips as she saw her friend would not be deterred by her words. "Alright," she relented. "We'll separate for the time being. But definitely, you need to promise us...no, promise _me_ that we'll meet again. Promise me that you will return to us."

"Return to you all?" Li-Hua turned thoughtfully to the group. "Possibly. But I can promise that we will meet again." _As enemies? As allies? On what side of the battlefield shall we be on if the time comes that we must fight?_ She winced at the thought and pushed it away. Li-Hua knew she would never be able to point a sword at Yona. And she wasn't too confident that she would be able to point a sword at _any_ of the group anymore.

Sweeping her gaze around the circle of friends (were they friends?) that surrounded her, Li-Hua knew that somewhere along the way they had managed to grow on her. Just a bit.

As if reading the inner turmoil inside of Li-Hua, Hak shifted his gaze over to the black haired woman as he adjusted his stance. "Hey, what are you thinking of?"

Li-Hua hummed, carefully picking her words. "Just of how I'll miss this group, somewhat. Anyways, I'd better be going if I want to reach Saika soon." Slinging her leather bag over her shoulders and sliding two sharpened hairpins into her hair, Li-Hua gave them all a small smirk. "What, no goodbyes?"

It was as if the question had suddenly prompted the group to start moving again. Yoon handed Li-Hua a bag of rice balls, hastily adding that he just happened to cook some extras and knew she'd probably be hungry on her journey. He was rewarded with a small smile. Zeno had enthusiastically given Li-Hua a hug with no restraints whatsoever, proclaiming that he would 'definitely miss her' and for her to 'come back soon, okay?'.

Kija had gave the woman a slightly respectful nod of his head as they clasped hands.

"Be safe," he warned, a tiny flicker of concern flashing through his eyes. The White Dragon was not heartless, as aloof as he could be when concerned about his Princess's safety. Li-Hua recognized that, and decided to not hold his accusations against her in any way. He was just passionate about what he believed in, as she was with her beliefs.

"I'll try." She sent him a cheeky grin.

Shin-Ah had awkwardly shuffled up to her and murmured a quick, "We'll miss you" before adding that Ao "would miss her as well". The squirrel had let out a cute sound before scurrying back on Shin-Ah's shoulders as the Blue Dragon inched away again.

Hak had given Li-Hua a once over before turning around and scoffing, "You'd better not disappear like last time, you hear? I doubt the Princess could deal with not seeing you for another two years. And it'd be bothersome for me too, if you disappear. You fight well enough. We haven't been able to duel each other again yet, either." If she squinted, she could make out just the tiniest bit of red splashed across his cheeks as he refused to look at her. _Tsundere._

"I'll miss you too, Hak," Li-Hua deadpanned.

Jae-Ha looked slightly sorrowful, although there was still that tinge of amusement that was always present when he was around Li-Hua in his eyes. A slightly crooked grin touched his lips as he took a hold of her shoulder, making Li-Hua stiffen up a bit. "Don't forget to think about me every now and then. You know, I'll be lonely~"

"I'm sure you can manage," Li-Hua said, not at all convinced by the man's theateratics.

"Aw, but you know that you'll be lonely as well."

Thoughtfully, Li-Hua contemplated the statement before giving a noncommittal shrug. "It'll be quieter, I suppose."

"How cruel." Jae-Ha pouted, looking like a child who was denied his candy. Then, his tone changed to a more serious one, the pouty look on his face dissolving as he said simply, "Be safe." Those words were so simple but spoke volumes as Jae-Ha's green eyes seemed to pierce straight through her soul.

"I will." A look of understanding flashed through her eyes as she gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Jae-Ha."

He had a small stunned look on his face before covering it up with a smirk again as he crossed his hands over his chest. His words easily came out as he honestly spoke. "Anytime."

Turning to the last person in the group, Li-Hua gave a weak smile. She looked much more composed than Yona, whose eyes were brimming with unshed tears as her feet moved forward without any question. They embraced for a moment, and hesitantly Li-Hua returned the hug as Yona whispered, "I'll miss you. We all will."

"I know." The words slipped out of her mouth easily, without any forethought. It was as if her words were tumbling one after another as Li-Hua sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat as she admitted, "I'll miss you too."

Yona's grip on her tightened, and Li-Hua allowed the embrace to stay that way for a few more seconds before gently prying Yona off, chiding, "I need to leave now, and if you all are to get to Ik-Soo's in time you'd better leave as well."

Giving them all a bright grin and casual wave, Li-Hua turned around and called over her shoulder, "Well, I'm off!"

Their responses echoed through the clearing.

_Until we meet again._

* * *

"Kou-_heichou_, why do all of the older soldiers always talk about a Red Falcon? All I know is that she used to be part of the army and pulled off some crazy stunts to save her legion. Who is she?" A young soldier, who was probably about twenty five, questioned nervously as he approached his commander.

Commander Kou of the Fire Tribe looked up from his paperwork, giving the man a side glance before sighing. He pushed away his paperwork and set down his pen as he turned to face the man. "The Red Falcon, you say?" Just the sound of the ephitet was enough to throw Kou back into the past.

"Yes, sir." The man confirmed. "I asked some of the other soldiers but they told me to shut up and go away, but I was just curious."

"The Red Falcon...it's been almost two years since I've heard her name spoken," Kou hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his black beard. They were inside Kou's office, one of the most common places to find the commander if he wasn't out on the front lines or practicing his swordsmanship. "The Red Falcon's real name is Li Hui Zhong. She was the personal bodyguard of Lord Kan Kyo Ga, but as the young prince grew and became more invested in his lessons to prepare to become our General, Li Hui Zhong was sent to condition and potentially help our Tribe's soldiers."

He paused for a moment to take a sip of water, recalling the past as vivid memories flashed through his mind. Continuing, Kou said, "She gained the respect of many of us after pulling off a risky escape after a mission gone wrong in the country of Xing after our plan had been discovered. She was able to lead our troops around the mountains where an ambush had been stationed and instead, with a brilliant strategic move, was able to corner the Xing forces at the southernmost peninsula and force them to surrender. There were few casualties."

"Impressive. But why isn't she with us now?" The soldier asked, his hazel eyes flashing with both naivety and curiosity as Kou's eyes darkened.

"The Red Falcon went missing during a mission two years ago. None of us are aware if she is alive or not, but the searches have turned up fruitless," the man answered listlessly. As the soldier stammered and apologized for bringing up such a sensitive topic, Kou tuned him out and waved his hand dismissively to tell the soldier that he was not going to disclose anything else.

The soldier quickly exited after murmuring another set of apologies, leaving Kou to sit in silence.

_Li Hui Zhong, hm?_

Although the woman was rumored to be cold hearted and genuinely cruel to her enemies in combat, Kou had heard several praises sung about the woman at the time about how she sacrificed everything to keep her men alive. No man who was a part of Kouka would have their blood spilled, according to former soldiers under her command.

That was something he could respect as a fellow ranked officer and soldier.

Finished with contemplating the past, Kou turned back to his desk and prepared himself to finish his mountain load of paperwork.

* * *

It was sort of quiet, Li-Hua mused. Usually around this time of the day Kija and Hak would be squabbling about the tiniest insult. Yoon would have been scolding them, and perhaps Shin-Ah would stop them from killing each other. Jae-Ha would have been encouraging the argument, and Yona would probably be giggling at the scene.

Instead, her footsteps were the only sounds that surrounded her. Li-Hua was nearing Saika, the capital city of the Fire Tribe. For the past few days she had been travelling on foot, passing through several villages that resembled the village their group had come to. Li-Hua had tried the best she could to provide for those villages, but she knew that however much she may give would not be enough.

She would head to Saika to find Kan Kyo Ga and finally settle things with him. He was her charge, her lord, her higher up. But Li-Hua had never seen him as such. Kyo-Ga was more than just that. He was an honorable man who defended his men and fought for his view of justice. She could see several attributes in the man that she had seen in Soo-Won: Kyo-Ga had tried to bear the burden of an entire Tribe on his shoulders alone. Soo-Won was the same, only on a larger scale and with more help.

Li-Hua was that pillar of support to her lord. She regretted not saying goodbye to him on that last mission before she left: the assignment had been so sudden that she had already suspected something was fake about it. He was one of her reasons that she had to return. Her last conversation with him had been fairly simple, a routine thing that Li-Hua had repeated over and over in her head during the mission.

* * *

"_You're staying up late again," Li-Hua reprimanded, already knowing his response to the question as she stepped a foot closer to her charge. They were inside the palace library, and Kyo-Ga was looking over some records as he had been for the past several hours. Li-Hua had been training their troops for the past several hours, and she as soon as she got word from one of the servants that her lord still hadn't gone to bed she knew where to look for him._

"_Zhong," he acknowledged. Unlike Princess Yona, Kyo-Ga would never call her anything but the name that she wore as a soldier. It was a dull reminder of their stations, but at the same time a comfort to Li-Hua. The name 'Li-Hua' was the name of a frightened girl who couldn't do anything. The name 'Li Hui Zhong' was a name feared by plenty and known by all as a fearsome warrior. Kyo-Ga knew this. As if to answer her silent question, he said, "I need to look up something."_

"_As you do almost every day, my lord. You need rest if we are to work well the next day." It was her duty as a bodyguard to say such about her lord's wellfare, although she already knew the man wouldn't stop until he found what he was looking for. Pausing for a moment as she got no response, Li-Hua sighed heavily and pulled out the chair beside him, sitting down. "What is it that you are looking for? Why do you not leave it to the palace accountants?"_

"_It is my duty as my father's son to do the best I can for the Tribe. And what I am searching for…" Kyo-Ga trailed off as he pushed over the documents he was examining to her. "Look at this. Do the numbers look strange to you?"_

"_They're diminishing," Li-Hua said softly after scanning the paper. "But even so, our Tribe should still have more money than what is displayed."_

"_Exactly. Where is the money going?" Kyo-Ga asked, leaning his head against his propped up hand as he picked up one of the documents. "I can not figure this out."  
Li-Hua paused briefly, wondering exactly what her lord knew. He was honorable, and if he made mistakes he would surely accept the punishment for that. But his father? "There is talk, my lord."_

"_Talk?"_

"_Just silly rumors that the castle servants talk about, but I've managed to catch a few. They speak of revolution, my lord. Against the emperor."_

"_My father would never do such a foolish thing," Kyo-Ga scowled, and Li-Hua had to remind herself of her place. Kyo-Ga idolized his father more than anyone, and he would not take such talk lightly, even if it came from his most trusted subordinate. "The odds are against us anyways, if such a thing occurred. The Fire Tribe does not have that many troops."_

_That was true. If Kyo-Ga's father, Kan Soo-Jin, _was _planning such a thing, he would need help. Briefly, Li-Hua's eyes flickered towards the unusually low numbers that indicated the Tribe's earnings before deciding her next move._

"_I realize, my lord. But as your bodyguard...no, as your right hand woman, I beg of you to take caution. Listen to the talk around you, Kyo-Ga. And do not be fooled by simple appearances," Li-Hua warned. "I feel that the higher Fire Tribe nobles are growing wary of me, as I have gained more power among the ranks after our recent movements against Sei. King Il is becoming aware of these movements as well, and I fear that he will stop our operations being the pacifist he is." Finishing softly, she said, "I may not always be around to watch your back, Kyo-Ga."_

_The lack of formality was enough to emphasize her statement._

"_I will see to it that nothing of the sort will harm you, Zhong. You are a person I can not afford to lose in this battle," Kyo-Ga set down the papers on the table with a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. Despite how late it was at night, his eyes still were just as sharp as during the daytime and his stance held no flaws in it. A perfect lord, as usual._

_However he was still too young, in the eyes of the noblemen. But then again, so was she. People grow wary of pieces that they can not control...and if they grew wary of her, she would be disposed of. Li-Hua had to watch her back. They were the ones who were the closest to the General; they were the ones who whispered directly into his ear. Li-Hua knew that a storm was brewing._

_A smile played on her lips, but she did not answer._

* * *

It was nice to be in Saika again. The lively atmosphere, the loud cries of advertising shopkeepers, and the bustling of the city were almost cheerful enough to convince Li-Hua that nothing was amiss in the Fire Tribe. If she had not witnessed the state of several villages she had passed through getting to her destination and already knew of the circumstances, Li-Hua would say that a complete stranger would think that the Fire Tribe was still prospering.

And it was, sort of. The army was growing in numbers by the time she left, probably because those positions were the best many of their citizens could ever hope for. The economy wasn't prospering, as the land was too barren to grow any land in vast parts of their Tribe, but she was sure that with the work of some individuals they could begin to fix that.

Soo-Won would never leave any part of Kouka in such a state.

Neither would Kyo-Ga, and Li-Hua knew for a fact that when Yona's group arrived there was bound to be chaos.

Li-Hua was dressed in a nondescript brown robe, something that wouldn't draw the eyes of other Fire Tribe citizens, the only striking thing on her being the dragon hairpin that was holding up her bangs. She had pulled up her hood for a while to go as nondescript as possible, and as it was nearly evening none of the citizens would think _too _much of it.

Just as she had turned the corner, still able to easily maneuver through the winding streets of the city, Li-Hua stopped as she heard the voice of a soldier. The voice was eerily familiar, and Li-Hua wasn't sure to curse or thank her luck.

.

.

"Man, this stinks. What am I going to report to Kou-_heichou?_ He's going to kill me for letting that guy run off," Ryu Hyang, or usually just referred to as Ryu by his comrades, sighed as he mumbled this under his breath. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked up thoughtfully towards the sky.

Ryu had been left in charge of a fellow soldier who was his partner and had already attempted to leave their army once. The punishment for abandonment was death, and Ryu wasn't quite sure about _his_ head if he came back to the main office claiming that the man had slipped away from him after getting Ryu flat out drunk. Ryu would probably be put on guard duty for the next few weeks for punishment if he returned from his patrol by himself.

Blinking, Ryu paused as he saw a suspicious figure that had quickly turned around and started walking the opposite direction once spotting him. The action wasn't the only thing that was suspicious: the figure was wearing a hood, and seemed to be carrying sword sheathes on their back. Good: maybe a chance to redeem himself.

"Hey! Wait!" Ryu called, quickly running after the figure. He prided himself to be an able soldier: there were whispers that he may even be promoted to a captain if he continued improving as he had, but this figure was fast.

Not only that, but the person apparently knew their way around the city well. Ryu had almost lost the figure twice, had it not been for sheer instincts and luck. Finally, he grabbed the shoulder of the figure with a firm grip, not allowing them to escape. "Hey, I just need to see your face and identification-"

He stopped as he pulled off the figure's hood, and suddenly he was at a lack of words as he stared into golden eyes. "Commander Li Hui Zhong, ma'am! I heard you were dead!" He quickly released his grip on the woman as she sighed, turning around to fully face him.

"Soldier Ryu Hyang, correct?" Nights of pouring over Fire Tribe records with Kyo-Ga had payed off somewhat. "You were part of the platoon I commanded."

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted out of both awe and instinctive body movements.

"Please do not refer to me by my formal title. I am aware that I was declared dead, no?" The woman seemed very amused by this statement and the man's reaction as she gave him a motion to stop saluting. "I can not assume my past identity again, here."

"What do I call you, then?"

"Li is fine," Li dismissed, her eyes half lidded as she smiled enigmatically at him. The way that her facial expression was carefully controlled had not gone unnoticed by him, but Ryu dismissed it. "And I heard that you were having quite a troublesome dilemma earlier."

"Ah, yes. My partner for my patrol ditched the army, so…" Ryu laughed nervously as he looked away. Something about being in the woman's presence unnerved him, and it was as if she was calculating his every move while keeping on a frighteningly calm smile on her face. Ryu had only experienced such a feeling one other time: with Lord Kyo-Ga himself.

Brightening suddenly, a strange look came over his face as even Li began to inch backwards. "That's perfect!" His face was lit up as if he had suddenly became the ruler of the world or something, and he gave her a huge grin. "You're my solution! Miss Li, please help me out."

The woman raised an eyebrow, but did not interrupt the super excited ginger haired man.

"Please take my partner's place in the army!"

.

.

Li-Hua was currently conflicted. She didn't want to interact with any soldiers, especially with her old soldiers, in the first place. However she knew she couldn't just barge into the palace and demand to meet Kyo-Ga: she'd be beheaded before she could say a thing about her identity, and the higher ups would probably never say a word.

This could be an opportunity.

Considering the notion, Li-Hua asked, "How do you plan on doing this? A soldier can't simply be replaced…"

"No, it's perfect!" The ginger looked undeterred as he said pleadingly, "Oh, please Li. I'm so close to a promotion and if I don't get it I swear I'll die. And besides, they don't really keep super close records on the guys. He was pretty quiet too, so no one really talked to him sans me, and his skills weren't that noticeable. But there's just the best thing about this whole situation…"

"And that is?" Li-Hua felt strangely comfortable around this boy. There was something about him that exuded confidence and energy, as if he was the Sun itself. She knew she would never be able to stay in his presence for too long: his light would drown out her darkness.

"His name was Li," Ryu informed with a giant grin on his face.

"And how, do you suppose, you'll keep your roommates silent on the topic?" Li-Hua asked pointedly. She knew from her past experience while helping to train the soldiers that the soldiers shared rooms in a barrack in groups of four. More skeptically, she questioned, "And can I even pass as him physically wise?"

Ryu gave her a cocky smirk. "What do you take me for? They'll be totally chill with it after I talk to them. And, well, I'm sure crossdressing isn't at the top of the list for the craziest things you've done."

"Hm. True enough." Li-Hua shuddered suddenly as she remembered _that_ one incident that involved Soo-Won crossdressing as Yona. Multiple attempts at flirting had been thrown at the 'princess' that day, and after that Soo-Won would refuse any kind of girly makeup they would try to tempt him with. "It's a deal."

* * *

Extra Scene:

Hak watched the retreating figure of Li-Hua as he glanced at Jae-Ha out of the corner of his eye. "So, you like the challenging ones, don't you?"

"Eh? Maybe." A completely irritating smile that revealed nothing.

"Good luck with that."

"Oh, Hak, daresay...are you jealous? For me?"

"I seem to recall you were the one to confess your love for me that day."

"Hm, true enough. But maybe you were just jealous because our darling Princess confessed her love daringly to Li, when you're still being treated as a friend."

Behind the two, Zeno coughed as he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'friend-zoned'.

Hak glowered. "Shut up."

Another smile.

"Oh, look at that. The Princess just went there to bathe in the waters, maybe we should...h-hey, Hak, I was just kidding. _Kidding_, you hear me? ...hey, why are you brandishing that weapon? Shin-Ah! _Shin-Ah!_ Help me!"

Hak proceeded to attempt at bashing the bastard's face in.

* * *

**A/N: WOAH. Like, woah. You guys are so amazingly wonderful. It makes me want to strange ya'll and cry at the same time. Thank you for all of your kind support, whether you just discovered the story or have been with me for a while now.**

**To be honest, I was going to discontinue this story after the second chapter. Then, on a whim, I decided to continue this because I loved the AnY fandom and thought maybe it'd grow. And it did. So just know that this story is basically here because you people kept nagging me (lol, I kid)...kept telling me how much you loved it. :)**

**I hope you all have a great New Years. Let's make 2016 even better!**

**(Also, who caught all of the hints I've been giving at Li-Hua's history? I'll give you a virtual serving of hot chocolate if any of you guess somewhere near the truth. It's actually not that complicated...ish. Also, I had to add the crossdressing. :p I'm sorry. If there are any questions behind Li-Hua's reasoning for her joining Ryu, feel free to ask. Yep.)**

**Also, I have a poll out for my next story. There's choices from _AnoHana, Magi, Haikyuu!, Fairy Tail, _and _Black Butler_. I'd love for you guys to vote on that so I can figure out what to work on next.**

**Review please. ;)**

**Anyways, that's all. :) Again, thank you for all your support~ I appreciate every favorite, follow, review, and all of the readers that read this.**


	13. Chapter 13

_Soo-Won,_

_By the time you should receive this letter, I would already have travelled out of the Earth Tribe. I apologize for not being able to see you, but there are things I must do. An acquaintance of mine should have handed you this letter: she is the sister of the (hopefully) new lord of Awa._

_I assume you have been investigating Awa Port as I have. Perhaps you even were there before Yang Kum Ji's defeat and I didn't even know it. It sounds like you, after all. You've always been one to take action before anyone else._

_I write to you for two reasons. First, I ask of a favor. There is a young girl who should be living in Kang Kum Ji's palace. She has an illness, and I owe her late brothers my life. Although it is not in my place to ask, I know you would do so. Please look after her and see that she has my regards. Enclosed is a letter addressed to her about her brothers and the debt I owe to them._

_Second, you may have heard that the ship Yang Kum Ji was on caught on fire. Despite what soldiers may say, Kang Kum Ji was the one to do that. I believe my presence, amongst others who gathered on said ship, drove him to do so._

_He decided to kill some of his men to escape, Soo-Won. He was going to sell off his own citizens for his own profit. His own soldiers mistreated villagers right before my eyes. That man was vile scum, Soo-Won. The pirates never meant to kill anyone but him._

_They are innocent. He is not._

_My point is, Soo-Won, my trusted friend, please pardon the pirates. I'm sure you've already done so, but I must right this should the worst happen. They are all young. They're fighting for what they think is right. Just like us, don't you think?_

_I won't ask anything about King Il. The past is the past, and I know you Soo-Won. I have one last request, and I apologize for lying before about having only two. But this one is really simple._

_Take care of yourself, alright?_

_Thank you, Soo-Won. Thank you so much. And hopefully we'll meet again in the future._

_With best regards,_

_Li-Hua_

* * *

Soo-Won stared at the letter for a long moment, giving a nod towards the noble girl who had delivered the message. With three swift steps, he moved towards the fireplace and threw the letter to ashes, leaving only him and the sender to know the contents. There were probably reasons why his old companion had not taken up her former title and position.

"She's slipped out of my grasp once again, hasn't she?" A nonchlant hum, a closed eyed smile as he waved for the girl to be dismissed. The only miniscule difference in his demeanor may have been the slightly tight way his fists clenched under his pristine sleeves, but the newly crowned Emperor returned to his paperwork with a sigh.

The empty question met silence.

* * *

**Fire Tribe**

* * *

"Yo, everyone, we're back!" Ryu waved cheerfully, his emerald green eyes practically sparkling as he skipped merrily inside the room of the barracks that he lived in. Behind him, Li followed, silently fuming. The ginger haired boy grinned as the two other occupants of the room looked up.

One of them was a boy with long, violet hair that was pulled into a perfect braid. His eyes were a slitted violet, and he glanced up at Li before raising an eyebrow at Ryu for explanation. The man looked delicate enough to pass for a girl, although Ryu knew for sure that he sure packed a punch. His name was Eun, and he was certainly perceptive and the most intelligent of their group. Despite his reserved manner, when provoked Eun could be really scary. Eun adjusted his glasses as he peered at his returning roommate.

"...Ryu. Who is that behind you?"

"Li!" Ryu replied cheerfully, as the said person shifted awkwardly behind him.

"I think that even Eun with his bad eyesight could tell that's a lie," the second occupant of the room, Chung-Hee, said dryly. The man had dark brown hair and was extremely tall, and even though his bulky stature might intimidate some, Ryu knew that Chung-Hee was a gentle giant. "Isn't she a girl?"

"I _told_ you it wouldn't work," Li muttered from behind Ryu. She had been doubting his plan for a while now. His eyebrow twitched at the derogatory remark as briefly Ryu turned around to protest and defend himself.

"The guards took it well enough. They let us through, didn't they?" Ryu protested, giving her a hurt look as he pouted, leaning closer to her. Perhaps if an outsider was looking at the scene, they might have called it romantic, but there was a slightly charged atmosphere that made it look more like two siblings who were about to get into a nasty squabble.

"You _cut my hair_. It's now almost the same length as Yoon's, and I can barely even _style_ it." Li glowered, glaring at him as Ryu gave a nonchalant shrug and instead gave a non-too-subtle thumbs up. Her statement was sadly true: the only thing that really distinguished her hairstyle from Yoon's was that her hair curved outwards and still have her a somewhat feminine look.

"You look good, anyways. Why do you care so much about your hair length?" Even Ryu wasn't aware of the slightly charismatic tone he took, but Li had to look away for a moment from his innocently confused look as a thought played in her head.

"_Long hair suits you, Li-Hua."_ A gentle smile, a quiet murmur in the secure peace of the palace gardens.

"No reason." Li gave an easy, unbiased shrug. Ryu couldn't tell if that was a lie or not, but let the subject go as he turned back around to address his roommates.

"Well, listen up guys." Ryu gave the two a confident grin. "Uh, so the real reason I'm doing this is that Li might have ditched the army and ran off with that one prostitute he fell in love with. This gal' here needs to see Lord Kyo-Ga and happened to volunteer. And you guys know how close I am to getting a promotion-"

"A million miles away," Eun muttered under his breath, violet eyes shifting towards 'Li' somewhat skeptically. He heard that Kan Kyo Ga frequently got admirers that tried any method to get closer to him, but he never thought any girl would go as far as enlisting in the army as a guy. Plus, the skeptical woman didn't seem like the type to fantasize over a one-sided love. However, he dismissed the notion for the moment as Eun asked, "What's her real name?"

Ryu saw Li tense, and faintly he remembered the one thing that the woman requested of him if she was to play the part he wanted her to. She had asked for him to not reveal her identity, as she would do so in due time. "The funny thing is...well, her name's actually Li," Ryu said cheerfully, the half-lie sounding easily casual on his lips. Despite how easygoing he was, Ryu was a man of his promises, not to mention that there was a reason the higher ups were considering to move him up in the ranks.

Li's tense body frame relaxed slightly.

"That's quite interesting." Eun looked contemplative, but did not press on the matter. "Drills start in twenty minutes, so I hope you've told her _something_ about those or we'll _all_ be put on kitchen duty for the next few weeks. Can she even fight?"

"Most of us Fire Citizens can fight, out of necessity," Li answered, her voice demure yet demanding of respect as her golden eyes met Eun's challengingly. "And I take it that, as you all seem to be of the lowest ranks to be assigned patrol duty, the three of you must not have that much battle experience either."

"Well, Chung-Hee and I haven't been in a battle," Eun admitted somewhat shamefully, his ears turning a little pink as he quickly brushed his purple locks back to cover his embarrassment. The boy crossed his arms, looking from the tall giant Chung-Hee and then towards Ryu. "But Ryu has. He was under some big-shot's command for a long time, apparently. He's the eldest of us. How old are you?"

"Twenty-two," Li answered steadily, and Ryu blinked in slight surprise at the age. He himself was twenty-five, but under her command he had been twenty-two and twenty-three. At that time, the soldiers already teased him for how young he was to be on the front lines. But if he was that age at the time, Li must have _extremely_ young, or at least for her rank, to be commanding such a large group of troops. Assuming that the woman wasn't lying, Ryu calculated that she was twenty at the time of her disappearance.

There was an awkward silence as Li sighed, shaking her head bemusedly. "Has anyone ever taught you never to ask a lady her age, however?"

"I was abandoned by my parents. I grew up within the palace as a servant thanks to the second son's split second of kindness. I am currently twenty-one," Eun answered back. Li hummed contemplatively, and the man scowled and asked defensively, "What, is there a problem with my past?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. It's just that you remind me of someone else I know. He has white hair, an unusual color just like your violet," Li answered, eyes somewhat reminiscent as she seemed to stare off somewhere else.

"An old man?" Eun asked disgustedly, the description of white hair immediately making his mind think of the worst. "I feel simply ecstatic you would make such a comparison."

"He's twenty. And the white hair is natural, apparently," Li said, obviously amused by Eun's conclusion. Turning to Chung-Hee, who was standing stoically to the left of her, she asked, "And your age is?"

"Twenty-three," the man looked slightly bashful that he was being talked to and quickly stepped behind Ryu to hide himself, as if that did any good. Chung-Hee stood almost a foot taller than all of the other soldiers, and the sight of him hiding behind Ryu was a sight to behold. Ryu himself wasn't that short, but compared to Chung-Hee he certainly did look that way.

"I see. I am twenty-two, you two are twenty-one and twenty-three, and Ryu is twenty-five. So _Ryu_ here is the old man, isn't he?" Li pointed out logically, and both Chung-Hee and Eun gave her a funny look before glancing at Ryu's look of betrayal. There was a moment of silence before a small smirk played on Eun's lips.

"I approve, Ryu," he said simply. "She seems fine enough. And she's certainly not an idiot, so we'll probably be fine."

Chung-Hee gave a quiet nod of agreement.

Turning to Li, Ryu gave her a cocky grin. He waved his hands around wildly as he flipped his ginger bangs back, grinning widely. "See? I told you that things would be fine! Now all we have to do is get through the morning routine and afternoon training, then we all get to go back to the barracks."

Li's slightly skeptical look morphed into a look of simple defeat as amusement flickered through her golden eyes as a small smile touched her lips. "Sure, sure Ryu. Now, show me whatever uniform your roommate has to wear and then we can move out."

* * *

"Soldier 31864 and 15485!" The bark sounded, loud and clear from the front of the courtyard as Li-Hua shifted awkwardly. She was standing between two random soldiers. All the soldiers were lined up in uniform lines, shoulder to shoulder, dressed in their armor under the sweltering Fire Tribe Sun. Li-Hua had almost forgotten how hot it was to wear armor: during her travels she never wore such conspicuous and heavy attire, so the last time she wore armor was nearly two years ago.

The soldiers who had been put on border patrol were in the section she was standing in. Somewhere in the crowd was Ryu, who she would walk up with once they called their names and asked for a report of their patrol. The procedure was more of just routine then anything substantial: no one expected for there to be anything too unusual during simple border patrols of the _city_. The soldiers were growing restless, with no battles to fight and no crime to punish. If any, the soldiers caused more problems than the actual civilians.

"Soldier 21598 and 19873!" Another call resounded as another pair left the lines of soldiers and made their way up to the front to give their report.

Li-Hua waited restlessly for her cue to be called. She already asked Ryu for what number his partner was assigned, and after contemplating for a few moments she could recall most of the information she would need to play the part correctly. Ryu had filled her in mostly on any details she had forgotten from looking over old soldier reports. Luckily, the real Li had been a soldier when she was in the Fire Tribe, although he wasn't in the group she commanded.

"-and 10489!"

Li-Hua's feet moved before her mind processed it, and thankfully her instincts were still just as strong as she remembered as she took level footsteps towards the front of the courtyard, watchful eyes of the other soldiers staring at her back. Somewhere along the way, Ryu joined her, and the two walked to the front silently, giving each other a nod of support.

If she hadn't grown so twisted and manipulative, Li-Hua might have been able to honestly make friends with this boy, she thought wistfully. Or maybe even fall in love with him. Ryu was a bright, charismatic person who would grow into a strong leader and kind person, albeit slightly reckless. But she was here for one goal: to see Kyo-Ga, and finally finish things. She was not one to seek vengeance, and as soon as she had made her peace Li-Hua intended to move far away from the Fire Tribe and travel once more. The life of a wanderer had fascinated her, and even now there was a sense of wanderlust that crept up in her heart at the strangest times.

If any...if any she didn't feel completely _comfortable_ with people like Ryu, Kija, or even Yona. They were too bright and kind that it made her feel much more dirty. She needed to be around people like her...people who _were_ kind, but perhaps didn't show it as blatantly or obviously. People like Jae-Ha, people like Kyo-Ga, people like Hak, people like…

...like Soo-Won.

Li-Hua paused slightly and recounted her list. It disturbed her that Jae-Ha had easily slipped into the list of people she could be more comfortable around, and it bothered her even more that there was something about Soo-Won's name that she couldn't really place.

Ah, they were giving the report. Li-Hua and Ryu saluted simultaneously, feet pressed together and hands pressed against their chests firmly as they stared at the ground, waiting for their superior to speak.

"You may relax. Report."

Ah, it was General Kou's voice. That was good. Li-Hua was somewhat familiar with the man, although they had never actually officially met. The only times that she had seen him in the past was during important meetings that Kyo-Ga attended, but Li-Hua was usually her lord's shadow and never spoke or made direct eye contact with anyone unless asked. However, she had heard whispers about the man while she was at the palace.

A brave man, who valued true honor and spirit over anything else. His sense of justice sometimes got him in trouble with the higher ups, but all the soldiers respected him and his decisions, as he had led them to victory many times and genuinely cared for the troops.

"We patrolled the Eastern part of the city, sir. No abnomalies detected, although I note that the people are growing restless as they have yet to see the new Emperor and what his reign may bring yet," Ryu spoke, and although Li-Hua was now looking up, she kept her gaze firmly staring straight ahead, not daring to meet General Kou's eyes.

Her golden eyes had gotten her into tough situations more than once, after all, she thought, remembering Yang Kum Ji and his immediate connection to her old identity thanks to the honey gold color.

"Thank you. You may go."

Both of them turned to leave when by chance, Li-Hua's eyes glanced up for a split second to meet General Kou's surprised ones. The gruff man's voice stopped them as he said simply, "Wait."

Both of them froze, and Li-Hua could hear Ryu's nervous inhalation of breath as they stopped in their tracks.

"Your name. The soldier with the golden eyes," the man commanded.

A small smirk spreaded across Li-Hua's face that she couldn't help, and although she quickly squished the smug look, she knew that General Kou had caught it. Politely, she inclined her head as she met his gaze evenly, not letting any other emotion flicker through her face. "Li, sir."

"Li…" Staring at the two for one long moment, in which Li-Hua was half afraid Ryu might collapse from not breathing at all, the man sighed and shook his head. "What am I thinking? Leave. You are dismissed."

Both of them moved quickly back into the crowd of soldiers, Li-Hua reaching over and giving a small squeeze of support towards an almost awestruck Ryu as the two exchanged a quick nod before heading back into their former positions. They were now in this together, whether she liked it or not.

The calling continued and lasted for another hour or so, all under the hot Sun.

* * *

"You look hilarious," Eun commented dryly. The violet haired man was leaning against a tree, shaded from the Sun by a large canopy of green leaves as he looked amusedly at his two roommates. Li-Hua casted him a dry look before promptly moving into the shade and sitting on the grass, leaning her back on the trunk of the tree and sighing. "Is being a soldier too hard for you, girl?"

"I have a name," Li-Hua replied monotonously, not bothering to actually answer the question as her frame relaxed slightly, having finally gotten out of the heat.

"Ah, yes. Li. Do you honestly think I believe in that bullshit? Sure, Ryu's a pretty nice guy and gullible and all, but you're definitely suspicious. What is your purpose? If you're planning on hurting our Tribe-" Eun's rambling was cut off by Chung-Hee, the silent soldier who barely spoke a word. Ryu had assured Li-Hua that Chung-Hee was nice, but at the moment she wasn't quite sure, as she had to literally tilt her head up to look at him.

"Eun." Chung-Hee's deep, gravelly voice said only one word, but that was the only reminder Eun needed as the man promptly shut up, cheeks red.

"Whatever." He huffed and looked away.

Ryu leaned over to Li-Hua and whispered not so quietly, "I'm half convinced they're gay. Do you know how disturbing that is, for a straight guy to be surrounded by gay bunkmates-" He was promptly interrupted when Eun literally threw a stick at him.

"I can assure you that Chung-Hee and I are _not _like that," Eun said bluntly towards Li-Hua before glowering at Ryu. "Stop creating rumors of your own accord."

"Mm-hm," Ryu nodded patronizingly, patting his friend on the head as he said gently, "Eun, you know that I'm always here if you want somebody to talk to. Even with personal problems. You realize that, right?"

"I give up." Eun threw his hands up in the air exasperatedly as Li-Hua's mouth quirked upwards at the exchange. Chung-Hee also seemed a bit amused, if the slightly softer look in his eyes was anything to go by. For some reason, the scene seemed to remind her of Yona's group, and inwardly she sighed as she realized how much the group had integrated into her thoughts.

_She missed them._

What were they doing now?

* * *

In the middle of a dramatic speech to reveal the identity of the newly dubbed Happy Hungry Bunch, Yona sneezed.

Perhaps if Li-Hua knew exactly what kind of troubles the group was getting into, not to mention the lame name of the group, she may not have been regretting leaving the idiots as much.

* * *

"I heard that there are bandits that have been taking over small villages on the outside borders of the Fire Tribe." Rumors like these came in hushed whispers over the giant dinner tables in the main hall where the soldiers ate. Li-Hua's eyes flickered upwards before looking down at her plate again, poking the soup experimentally with her spoon.

"Really? I heard that Lord Kyo-Ga sent his brother, Lord Tae-Jun, to deal with them." Another whisper as laughter and the clank of mugs of alcohol being hit against each other in a cheer pervaded throughout the hall.

"If you don't eat your food, you won't grow," Eun nagged as he pushed the bowl closer to her. "What, are you one of those stupid girls who always go on and on about diets? Some of our citizens out there are starving, you know."

Li-Hua and Ryu both casted him a glare, with Ryu putting a finger to his lips and glancing around nervously to see if anyone had heard. That was hardly possible, with all of the noise and chatter going on around them. The four soldiers were all seated at the end of one of the outstretching wooden tables, with Li-Hua seated next to Ryu and Chung-Hee next to Eun. No one paid attention to them: they had their own circles to worry about.

Picking up her spoon and beginning to dip the provided bread into the warm soup, Li-Hua mused idly, "Maybe he's more like Yoon then Kija." She glanced over at Eun again.

"Hm?" Ryu turned his attention to his companion, emerald green eyes blinking in curiosity as the ginger haired boy leaned closer. "Who are you talking about?"

"A group of travellers I joined for a while." Li-Hua shrugged, letting the truth slip out of her lips. It wasn't like it would do her any harm to let out that much. She doubted that the men would believe her if she told them she had been travelling with the supposedly dead Princess of Kouka and her bodyguard, along with four dragon warriors that couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"Is that so?" Ryu's eyes glinted mischievously as he nudged the woman, eyebrows raising suggestively. "Were there any guys that caught your interest in that group?"

"...they were all too weird," Li-Hua replied thoughtfully. Glancing at him, she asked back, "And you all? Do you have any girls waiting at home?"

"Not me," Eun said with a frown as he shrugged. "I have an elder sister, though." He refused to let out any more information, even when prodded by a curious Ryu. He pushed back his chair, finished, and stood up to put away his plate. Muttering a hasty 'see you later', Eun walked off, his ears clearly red as the other three warriors watched him pace away.

"That was interesting. Chung-Hee, you have someone though, right?" Ryu prompted. "Or are my suspicions of you and Eun being an item true?" At the man's silence, Ryu sang, "Your silence will validate my assumption~"

"Yes." Chung-Hee's low, rumbly voice resounded as Ryu grew quiet. "I grew up with her."

"Oh? What's this?" Ryu pouted. "You got a girlfriend before me?"

Li-Hua, ignoring the ginger haired boy's enthusiasm, turned towards Chung-Hee with a question in her eye. "Were you able to talk to her before you were enlisted? I understand that sometimes drafts can be sudden."

"She promised that she would wait for me." The man's tone left no more room for persuasion of any details, and Li-Hua and Ryu let the subject drop on that heavy note.

* * *

.

* * *

Time passed. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and Li-Hua was utterly frustrated with her progress. It was obvious that a low ranked soldier like 'Li' would not catch Kyo-Ga's attention, and even worse was the fact that she still had to hide her swordsmanship. No man could steadily improve and become a seasoned warrior in just a few months, although Hak had nearly done so.

She could not be hasty. It was obvious that Ryu was satisfied with their plan, as nothing had come up yet, and so he didn't push for her to do any action.

On another subject, the rumors of the rogue bandit group slowly dwindled as the gossip mill found more interesting news to talk about. Interesting. Perhaps they moved on? A strike of loneliness hit her at the thought, but that quickly faded. After all, she had made her own choice to leave and go after Kyo-Ga. Right now she had to focus on the task in front of her.

She did not know that things would change very soon, nor the fact that people were already on the move.

* * *

.

* * *

"I thank you for taking the trouble of travelling all the way here." The smell of incense filled the air, the smoke spiraling in almost hypnotic spirals. A cup clinked, put down on the table. "...Master Li Hazara."

"...no. It was a good opportunity, Master Kan Soo-Jin. I wanted to see the Land of Fire too." A pause, a sip of tea. The bearded man stroked his chin thoughtfully as he set down his cup of tea on the table, the sound echoing with finality.

"This area is just withered land, right?" Behind them, guards shifted anxiously, the resounding click of their metal armor echoing through the near silent room.

"I'm accustomed to the harsh climate. It just depends on how it's used." Another sip of tea. There was a subtle tone of warning behind the man's words, daring for the other to accuse him or push him further.

"I see. Outstanding." The topic dropped quickly.

One of the men turned to a guard, idly asking where the tea came from. After hearing that it was from the Earth Tribe, created especially by the wife of General Geun-Tae, the man eyed the tea thoughtfully. "Interesting. By the way, I thought I could meet your son today."

Both men knew they were not referring of the cowardly second son of the Fire General, Tae-Jun, but of the graceful and loyal Kyo-Ga. Lord Soo-Jin cleared his throat as he lowed his voice an octave, "No...I told the people of the castle that I was negotiating. I haven't told Kyo-Ga about my being here."

A chuckle resounded from the other party. "Negotiating?"

"He's rather thick-headed, especially after his bodyguard's disappearance a few years back." At that note, Lord Soo-Jin hummed thoughtfully, watching the fluctuating light of the candle set on their table. The flare held so much power and warmth, yet with a single blow it could easily be put out. "I must thank you for your cooperation in that aspect."

"It was no problem. Any bodyguard who can commend too much power over our soldiers should be dealt with accordingly."

"And what of her?"

"What of her?" The man laughed, and although his smile remained on his face, his eyes were narrowed and as cold as a snake's. "I sent her to North Kai along with some other girls. You'll never see her again."

"Good riddance. I feared that she was beginning to poison my son's mind, but my concerns are now rested thanks to you."

The conversation took an ominous turn as Li Hazara set down his tea, now cold, with a simple tap. "Our preperations are set. Are you ready?"

A smirk.

"Then...in three days...we'll proceed as planned."

The candle flickered, and went out.

* * *

**A/N: Apologies to those who wanted some dramatic reveal of her gender to her hot roommates. Not going to happen, despite how much I love crossdressing shoujo cliches (hey, anyone can dream). :p Also, I plan to extend the soldier thing for a little longer, but I want to hurry to the plot. So. Yeah. Uh. Hm.**

**So...woah...uh...I'm honestly shocked at how much support and response this story has gotten, and this sounds really repetitive, but seriously. Woah. Thank you so much for everything~ All of the people who have been reading thus far, those who have put this on their favorites/follows list (both recently and since awhile ago), and definitely my wonderful reviewers. From the reviewers who have just discovered this story yet still don't mind reviewing (you people know who you are) to my wonderful reviewers who have stuck with this story since the beginning or very early on (you all also know who you are, and I know exactly who ya'll are. ily).**

**I guess this just says something about the Akatsuki no Yona fandom growing, huh? Yesss~ we fans can start a fanfiction revolution because this manga/anime definitely deserves it! Yosh! **

**If you haven't already, please check out the poll on my page as these stories will be my next projects. Or join my sad little forum that isn't really doing anything in particular.  
**

**Don't be afraid to take a guess at Li-Hua's past. ;) I believe _Skylark-Hime_'s predictions have been the closest thus far.**

**Again, thank you so much for all your support! I honestly have no words to express my happiness. :) That's about it. Until next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: The ending is loosely set in chapter 67 to get a perspective of where I am with the plot.**

* * *

"_Y-you will walk a path of solitude. Your future is riddled with hardships and betrayal, and ultimately you will meet your demise at a young age." The old woman paled as she glanced into her crystal ball again, as if the ominous prediction might have been a fake. But the young woman who she was telling her fortune to did not seem surprised._

"_It is my duty to die for my young lord, so I'm not too shocked. Betrayal...that will come in time I suppose. Please do continue." Li-Hua drummed her fingers against the edge of the table as she leaned closer, peering at the tarot cards laying innocently on the glass table. "Do I choose one?"_

"_Three, actually, my dear. Perhaps it is not actually what the orb is telling me-"_

_Swiftly, a deft hand flipped over three cards, and Li-Hua observed the cards with somewhat apathetic eyes. The drawings looked somewhat ominous, with one card showing a man about to fall off a cliff and another seemingly showing the face of death._

"_The Hanged Man, Death, the Fool," the old woman whispered, and if any those names seemed to weigh down on the woman harder as she gave a sigh, looking generations older than her already wise age. "My dear, you have quite a future set out for you."_

"_What is their meaning?" Li-Hua asked, not one to beat around the bush. Once upon a time she might have been horrified to be so blunt to an elder, but Li-Hua had just returned from a battle and she was so goddamn _tired_, yet Kyo-Ga had insisted for her to visit this fortune teller. He told her that she only came once every five years to the city of Saika, but her predictions had been spot on and had helped his father in the past._

"_The Hanged Man signifies that your situation...whatever that may be, may be best improved by letting go. A sacrifice...you must remain passive. Let the events unfold and do not get involved, my dear. It is for the best." The old woman's hands briefly touched the second card. "Death...this doesn't necessarily mean that you will die, but there is an intense change that is going to come. Good or bad, you must accept this and grow from it. The last card, the Fool, means that you must take a leap of faith. Have trust, work past your fears, go beyond your boundaries, my dear. Quite a combination if I have to say. The last fellow who got such a combination…well, that young blondie seemed years beyond his age. I pity him."  
_

"_I'm afraid that remaining passive is not in my nature, my lady. As Kyo-Ga's bodyguard I will get involved no matter what. And trust?" A small, miniscule bitter smirk spread over her face. "I lost that long ago."_

* * *

Li-Hua awakened at the sound of a knock on the door. Hastily, she pulled on her armor, prepared in case they would be called for some duty. Mentally she thanked herself for bandaging her chest last night as she glanced over to her other sleeping roommates. It seemed as if the only person rather than her who had woken up at the knock was Chung-Hee.

The man's face was, for a rare occasion, contorted into a scowl as he glanced over to Li-Hua and made a motion for her to remain quiet and not awaken the others.

"Who is it?" Li-Hua asked quietly, as the man seemed to have known exactly who would be knocking on that door.

"The exact reason why Ryu wants to get promoted," Eun's voice answered, a quiet yet intense look of hatred on his face. It was surprising to her, for she had never pinned Eun as the type to hold grudges, but that fact spoke volumes about the person on the other side. Chung-Hee opened the door, making sure he didn't wake Ryu.

"Well look who's awake at this hour. Hey, _Chung-Hee,_ how are you doing?" A poisonous voice said amusedly, and as Li-Hua met his eyes she was instantly reminded of a snake...a snake that already had spotted his prey. The stranger was on his own, and he had raven black hair and narrowed olive green eyes. Already dressed in his battle armor, the man seemed like the kind to demean his own men if she were to judge the smirk on his face. However...her hands shook slightly as she tried to keep her face neutral and expressionless.

Chung-Hee refused to answer as the stranger pouted, his personality turning a one-eighty as he began pulling Chung-Hee closer. The man's face contorted into a furious scowl as he hissed, "I. Am. Your. Superior. Answer me."

Li-Hua nearly jumped as she felt a hand clasped on her shoulder as Ryu's usually happy tone was instead replaced with a grave, deep one. It was the first time that she had heard Ryu sound so serious as he answered for his friend, "He's doing fine, Seung. And you?"

"I _was_ doing fine until I saw your face." The man quoted cheerfully as his arm slunk around Li-Hua's shoulders. The woman did not flinch at the sudden contact, and this seemed to add to Seung's amusement. The man tapped a finger against his chin thoughtfully as he recalled, "Ah, if I recall correctly Ryu, didn't you and Li dislike each other? Why are you so buddy buddy now?"

"We came to an epiphany when we were forced on border patrol together, " Ryu said shortly, not willing to discuss any other details. "Right, Li?"

Li-Hua only nodded.

"Well Li's never been very chatty, but this kind of treatment is borderline silent. Come on, darling, why won't you speak to me?" Seung's eyes seemed to dance with amusement as he challenged Li-Hua. The air seemed to hold its breath as Li-Hua felt all eyes on her, and slowly the woman realized that she had to speak. Sighing inwardly, she couldn't help but think to herself that _she was breaking another promise_ and _she really hoped that Hak and Soo-Won would forgive her for doing this again_.

"Hm. Well, why the hell would I talk to an arrogant bastard like you?" Li-Hua sneered, her face contorting downwards as she let her posture nearly radiate arrogance. Thankfully, she had talked with Eun about Li before, asking about his behavior as Ryu's description of her part was hardly satisfactory. She purposely deepened her voice and added a rough quality to it as she allowed herself to adopt a jeering look.

"Tch, there's the bastard I know," Seung had a derisive sneer on his face as he towered over Li-Hua by about ten centimeters, but Li-Hua refused to move back as she boldly met his eyes. He mused under his breath, "Were they always gold?"

There was a moment of silence as Eun (bless his soul) intervened and asked, "What do you want?"

He threw his hands up in the air innocently."Does there need to be a reason to visit my darling subordinates?" The man asked back, mocking. At the lack of response Seung seemed to deflate, as he gave them all a smug smirk. "I give you my greetings, boys," he sang. "Now that I'm back from a mission we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

No one looked pleased.

"And Li, darling? Please do meet me at my quarters after training's over." His hand danced lightly over hers for a moment, an expression of noglastic washing over his features, as he slipped a piece of paper in her hands before giving them all a sadistic smile and leaving.

* * *

"Are you _sure_ you don't need us there?" Eun paced back and forth nervously, looking more perturbed than Li-Hua. It came to her as a slight surprise that Eun would even think of her wellbeing, but she supposed months of training alongside her had added up to _something_ at least. The two shared a special connection that Li-Hua didn't really have with her other two roommates. Eun respected her personal space, and knew when to keep his mouth shut. Ryu was sometimes too overbearing, while Chung-Hee was usually so quiet that she barely got a word out of him.

She had finally earned Eun's true respect after he saw that she was able to keep up with the drills that they continuously did as soldiers everyday, and after that the man had somewhat accepted her as one of their own.

"I'll be fine," Li-Hua shrugged. "He's our superior, sure, but there's not much he can do without looking suspicious. I can handle things by myself."

"You don't understand…" Eun shook his head. "Whenever Seung asks someone to come to his quarters, that means that he wants a new playtoy. He's amused by you, Li. And when...when Chung-Hee had gotten a note to come to his quarters, Chung-Hee got so beaten up he refused to speak to Ryu and I for almost a month. He's brutal."

"I can take care of myself," Li-Hua repeated herself as she glanced over to a surprisingly silent Ryu. "Help me out, here."

"I'm not too comfortable with you leaving either." Ryu looked contemplative. "Seung's always abusing his power around those of lower rank, and whenever there's a superior around he sucks up to them. I don't know how there can be a person like that, but…"

"I've faced worse," Li-Hua supplied, and for a second a glint of fleeting calculativeness flashed through her eyes before that expression was gone. "Besides, he amuses _me_. It'll be interesting to find out what makes that guy squirm."

"Whatever you say." Ryu still looked unconvinced, but as he was the only person who knew of Li-Hua's true identity, he was the one person who knew that the woman really was telling the truth and really could take care of herself. "Just be careful."

"Ryu, you can't just let her go like this!" Eun protested, sounding like an overprotective mother. Li-Hua noted never to tell Eun this, however, as the violet haired man had nearly strangled her when she had made such an insinuation before. "Chung-Hee! You have to be opposing this too, right?"

"...is there anything we can really do, though?" Chung-Hee's usually stoic voice sounded unsure, almost fragile, and that had silenced them all. "Seung will just hound us for not letting Li visit him, and he'll find other ways. We know he'll find another way."

"I'll be fine." Li-Hua nodded her head in finality, her tone not leaving any room for argument. "See you later." Before anyone else could stop her, the woman slipped out of the door of their dorm and headed over to Seung's quarters, as she had already been given murmured directions from Ryu during their afternoon drills.

Her footsteps were the only sound that was echoing through the hallway as she turned to the right and kept moving at an even pace, not allowing any nervousness that may have seeped inside her heart show on her features. Finally, after taking another right and a left, she reached an innocent looking oak door.

"You came." A voice said, and Li-Hua turned around to see Seung leaning against the wall of the hallway, his handsome features looking half surprised and half amused. "I half thought you wouldn't, or that one of those guys would stop you. But you came of your own free will. Amusing."

"Very amusing," Li-Hua echoed, her voice changing so that it fit that of her part's.

"Enough of the charades, will you? I had heard that Li Hui Zhong was a master at espionage, but I'd never expected that you could manipulate your very body language to match that of another's." A smirk quirked on his face as he sighed, his usually cruel features relaxing as he asked, "How are you still alive?"

"I missed you too." Li-Hua rolled her eyes, a smile breaking over her face as she replied to his question with a simple smirk and a quiet, "It's a secret."

"Hm, is that so?" The green eyed man gave her a one over, taking in the men's armor she was wearing and the shortened hair. "Never thought you were one to take to crossdressing. I recognized you right away, you know. Kind of easy after all of the time we've spent together."

"Never thought you were such a sadist, either," Li-Hua shot back as she continued, "I was shocked when I saw you, you know. They told me that you beat up your own men. Sure, you're tough with your men and sometimes play creepy mental games with them, Seung, but you'd never actually hurt them. What's going on?"

Seung gave his first genuine laugh that he had given in such a long time as his features softened for a moment, basking in the familiarity of the conversation, before they hardened. "I investigated a little too far after your disappearance. It's a miracle they didn't send me off on a secret mission too, but I guess they let it go. Instead they just ruined my reputation."

"Pretty easy, considering how suspiciously sadistic you act," Li-Hua said dryly, but inside of her was a whole new wave of turmoil. Her right hand man...no, one of her closest friends, had been reduced to such a person after her disappearance. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I did. Or...I tried to. Chung-Hee, this guy named Xieu, the list goes on and on. Whenever I'd try to talk to them, _those people_ would interfere. That bastard, Captain Zhou, and all of his men are working for them. They'd beat up my own men and pin the blame on me." Seung shook his head as he laughed bitterly. "Don't I sound pathetic? Even Ryu...that guy, the guy that used to idolize me the most when we were soldiers under you, he hates me. I don't know what to do."

"I'm here now. And I will help you." Li-Hua's entire body was shaking, and by the slightly disturbed look on Seung's face she knew that her expression must not have looked very pleasant at the moment. "I can't believe they did this to my own men. _My_ men. Seung, stay low. I will do something about this."

And the look on Seung's face was all that Li-Hua needed to see to know that he believed her.

* * *

"Hey." A ginger haired boy appeared alongside Li-Hua. The raven black haired woman, who had previously been sitting with her back propped against the wall of their room, quickly looked towards the sound of the voice and stood up.

"Hey yourself," Li-Hua acknowledged back dryly. After her conversation with Seung, she had returned to the room and refused to answer questions. Revealing Seung's true nature to her roommates would do more harm than good form them if the higher ups heard, and eventually she would use that card up her sleeve when the time was right. Her eyes suddenly sharpening, any humor reflected in them had quickly disappeared as her voice lowered. "What is it?"

"Apparently there's been a group of folks that appeared around the Saika slums asking about our soldiers. The ones really up high haven't heard of this yet, but some of our superiors are requesting for us to investigate this. We don't want too much trouble after all." Finishing cheerfully, Ryu began to put on his armor, not shying away despite there being a lady in the room. "Maybe _this_ is what I need to get a promotion!"

Li-Hua had the decency to at least look away, although she frankly looked unperturbed, already dressed in armor. It had quickly become a habit for her to stay in full dress, despite the heat, mainly because her tight fitting outfits aroused some suspicion among the ranks. At least the armor covered any feminine like curves that would suggest what her gender was. "Alright then, hurry up and let's get going into the city. Any particular places?"

"Well, there's been a few places where they've been sighted, and many of them seem to be bars, so why not?" Ryu shrugged, standing up proudly as he slung a lance over his shoulders. Ryu was never a swordsman: he worked best with lances and staffs, which was sometimes looked down upon in his occupation as a footsoldier. But everyone knew that he was probably the most skilled lanceman in the platoon, which was why nobody ever forced him to attempt at the blade. Ryu found that he sucked at swords, anyways.

"Bars…" Li-Hua murmured for a moment, contemplating that for a moment. She had made several connections with bartenders in the past: they had all been long-time friends, and Li-Hua herself had worked as a barmaid during her travels. Making connections with people who worked at bars had multiple benefits: one of them being an information network, albeit a loose one. Alcohol loosened tongues, after all. "Then I know just the place."

* * *

Thanking a harried looking bartender, who Li-Hua knew was named Zen, she quickly ushered herself and Ryu outside of the bar before they drew any more attention than they already did, dressed in full armor with a Fire Tribe embel clearly inscribed on it. Li-Hua had visited the bar several times when she had been Kyo-Ga's assistant. Occasionally when her charge was forced to attend meetings or something, he would dismiss her, telling her to have a day off and that his father would have more than enough guards to watch over them both. Li-Hua had protested, but her lord was almost as stubborn as her sometimes.

"That was interesting," Ryu said thoughtfully as he hurried after her down the cobblestone lined street. They didn't run into any major problems, and the investigation had gone quite smoothly thanks to Li-Hua's connections to the bar. They were now headed to another place where the rumored suspicious figures were apparently spotted at multiple times.

Quietly, Li-Hua slipped into a nearby alleyway and motioned for Ryu to follow her. Making sure that no one else was looking, she quickly knocked four times on a wooden door, and the door opened to reveal a surprised looking barmaid. The woman, probably in her mid thirties, looked as if she'd seen a ghost when she had spotted Li-Hua (which was, in a way, true). "M-miss Zhong? I thought you were-"

"Alive and healthy," Li-Hua supplied aptly as she let herself inside, with Ryu trailing hesitantly behind her. "Can we borrow some disguises? We're investigating around and I doubt the customers would enjoy a bunch of soldiers relaxing around here."

"Of course." The woman quickly moved to find the spare bar uniforms as Ryu raised his eyebrows towards Li-Hua as if to ask her, _really?_ The woman inwardly shrugged. Li-Hua liked the challenge of disguising herself, and one of the best things about being an apt liar was that she was able to disguise herself easily. She had previously made a promise with Soo-Won and Hak ("_It's too freaking creepy when the Princess's voice comes out of your mouth,"_ and "_It's better if you stay Li, not somebody else,"_ had been their responses) never to act as someone else again, but that promise had been thrown out the window.

Li-Hua had never really been one to keep promises, sadly.

Besides, although there could have been other ways for her to get past Kyo-Ga, those would require a lot of luck and connections she didn't have. The man was the son of the Fire Tribe General for god's sake, so security around Kyo-Ga was always tight. Especially after Li-Hua's "disappearance" two years ago. Their own citizens and enemies alike would jump at the opportunity to meet Kyo-Ga, so he was nearly kept under lock and key. Li-Hua's only viable chance was if she was a soldier: she knew Kyo-Ga was one to personally examine his soldiers, as he always had bragged to his father about his well trained archers.

It was not possible for her to send a message to him without it getting intercepted. That thought soured her, and Li-Hua quickly pushed it away, bothered. The barmaid had returned with two outfits: two black dress shirts, and respectively a red skirt and red dress pants for Li-Hua and Ryu. "You two can take turns changing in the backroom," the woman told them as Ryu motioned for Li-Hua to go in first, giving her a wink.

Such a gentleman. Her lips quirked up at the thought amusedly. After changing into the outfit and discarding her armor in the back corner of the room as there wasn't really any 'hiding spot' to put it in, she exited and allowed Ryu to gawk for a little. "Y-you look like an actual girl," the man gaped, and if Li-Hua was anyone else she might have came back with a snappy retort.

Instead, her hand reached out and Ryu shrank back, expecting to get slapped, but he was surprised when all she did was flick his forehead. A dark red color stained his cheeks and ears in embarrassment that made Li-Hua want to both smirk and laugh at the same time.

"I _am_ a girl," Li-Hua deadpanned as she motioned towards the front of the bar. "I'm going ahead. Meet up with me when you're finished changing. Don't let anyone find the gear: we're not supposed to be out of our armor. Standard regulations."

"Sure, sure," the man waved lazily as he entered the backroom, and with a gentle push of another door, Li-Hua had entered the bar. Cold air immediately whooshed past her, and Li-Hua allowed herself a moment to compose herself before she joined the rest of the rambunctious patrons.

"Who are those guys?" She heard a patron whispering to one of the people close to him, gesturing towards a group of hooded figures. Li-Hua's eyes glanced over to the group, thanking her perfect timing, before one figure looked up and caught her gaze. Emerald green clashed against imperial gold as time seemed to stop and hold its breath.

Her feet began moving before her mind had processed it, and she simply said, "Jae-Ha."

The man's lips quirked upward as he pulled down his hood, not caring about the questioning gazes of the other bar patrons. His eyes were twinkling with amusement as he replied, "It's nice to know that you haven't forgotten my name. The skirt looks good on you, you know."

Li-Hua let the compliment roll off her shoulders as she simply shrugged in return.

The rest of the group had noticed her as well, and quickly smiles spread across their faces as they clamored about her. "Woah, is it really you?" "I never expected for us to meet here of all places." "Ah, we missed you!" Li-Hua was overwhelmed by the myriad of responses, and quickly her eyes darted about to see that they were attracting quite a number of looks.

Ryu had joined her, lingering just a foot away to give a little privacy for the reunion. But Li-Hua refused to let him linger off at the side, and pulling the ginger with her she quickly introduced, "Ryu, meet a few of my old acquaintances. Yona, Hak, Jae-Ha, Kija, Yoon, Zeno, Shin-Ah, Ao? Meet Ryu. He's helping me out a lot."

Ryu stared at the strangely dressed group for a moment, looking between Li-Hua and them for a little, before a grin broke over his face as he held out his hand to Yona. "Hi. I'm one of Li's friends."

The red haired princess blinked at his forwardness before she returned his smile, taking his hand firmly and saying, "Yona. Thank you for watching over Li-Hua."

"The name's just 'Li' right now." Li-Hua shrugged. "Makes it easier. I'm masquerading as a soldier."

Everyone blinked at that as Yoon asked hesitantly, "Isn't the army only recruiting guys?"

"I took the place of one," Li-Hua corrected, awkwardly fidgeting under Jae-Ha's gaze as the rest of the group gave her deadpan looks.

"B-but, how can anyone mistaken you for a guy? More than that, what have you done to your hair?" Jae-Ha asked mournfully as he played with her short black locks, and Li-Hua swiped away his hand with an annoyed look that obviously told him to shove it. He returned her look with a cheeky smile.

"I cut it." Li-Hua replied. Her gaze shifted over to Ryu as the two gave each other a conspiratorial nod before the ginger haired boy hurried off to grab their armor for them to put on later. "Let's get in some back alley so we can talk more freely. Ryu will catch up with our armor."

As the group exited the bar, Li-Hua couldn't help but think how odd the familiar feeling of camaraderie was. Something about Yona's group had always been welcoming about it. "What have you all been doing? And moreover, were you the ones asking around for information?"

"We've been acting as bandits and visiting the Kai Empire," Hak deadpanned bluntly as Li-Hua took in this new information, clearly amused. "And yes."

"You all wouldn't happen to be that group of bandits who've been stirring up trouble around the outskirts of the Fire Tribe, have you? The soldiers have been gossiping." By the group's sudden silence, Li-Hua could conclude the answer for herself. "Who decided on asking around in the back alleys, though?"

All eyes turned to Hak as he gave the simplest yet nondescript answer he could, "When I was in Kuuto, there was a guy who often went in back alleys."

_Soo-Won_. Just the thought of his name made her heart ache with memories pouring into her head, but Li-Hua did not indulge herself in relieving anything from her past. "If the people in the slums don't respect you, they'll rat you out immediately," Li-Hua said dryly. "And trust me when I say that the people around Saika will not willingly give out information to a strange group of travelers. What's the matter?"

"While we were in part of Kai's territory, we saw Li Hazara returning back to the land, coming from the direction of the Fire Tribe," Yona answered, her violet eyes sharpening as she revealed this.

"Li Hazara, the head of the Sen Province's wealthiest family? The Kai Empire's Li Hazara?" Li-Hua echoed in disbelief. She had heard of him many, many times, from the beginning of her career as Kyo-Ga's bodyguard to those almost forgotten times during her disappearance. ("_Li Hui Zhong and Li Hazara. You don't deserve to have the same name as our lord. Die already, would you?"_). "But that means…"

Those hours of searching through documents for something amiss seemed to finally add up, as well as the suspicious way the higher ups had been acting as Li-Hua almost wanted to mentally collapse under the burden of the knowledge. Kyo-Ga...he knew nothing.

_Nonononononono please don't let it be what she thinks._

Why hadn't she seen it before?

"Li-Hua?" Yona asked concernedly, seeing her friend's look of distress.

"It can't be," the woman murmured, too invested in her thoughts as she spared a glance towards her comrades...her friends. Just then, Ryu joined their group, his face pale.

"Li...a drunk brought the news to the bar. T-the Kai Empire's troops have broken through the border, lead by Li Hazara. They've come to invade Kouka."

* * *

**A/N: So...yeah. January has been the busiest month for me yet, with finals, 3 academic competitions in a row, and a really important test, but hopefully February will get me more time to update lol.**

**Have I mentioned ILY PEOPLE?! Every single review, follow, and favorite just leaves a huge smile on my face (and it's really weird when you walk into a final smiling like an idiot, trust me). And I notice every addition. Seriously.**

**As for the story...well...plot? Haha. Ryu's like such an adorable dude. Seriously. I love him so much and personally believe we need really bright/cheerful characters like him in AnY. Ish. Yeah. And Seung...well, originally I planned for him to be all evil and have some dramatic confrontation between him and Li-Hua/Ryu/Eun/Chung-Hee and be all like, surprise she's a girl to all the rest of the soldiers, but yeah. It turned into a dramatic reunion instead. That adorable sadist. I started picturing Izaya from Durarara and was like nope, can't do it. This is what happens when you let a character have a personality. They write themselves into the plot. Whoops. Ha. Ha.**

**Apologies if you wanted a dramatic reunion between Li-Hua/Yona and co., but yeahhhhh it turned out like this. Somehow. Lol.**

**And to address several speculations on whatever the hell Li-Hua's going to do during the war, well...uh, I kinda need help on that. I planned it out, but then we won't see much Yona and co. but will see a lot of Kyo-Ga/Soo-Won. A reminder that Yona and co. were like, protecting that random village and all that stuff while Kyo-Ga was stay****ìng in Saika and Soo-Won was actually in battle. So...I can't really include them all lol. So I'm probably taking the Kyo-Ga/Soo-Won route as that works best with my plot I have in mind, but uhhhhh ily Jae-Ha shippers? Whoops? HE'LL GET SOME SCREEN TIME. SOMEHOW. (He's so bae, and even though this was supposed to be just Jae-Ha/OC at first it somehow is leaning towards Soo-Won ish. Hm. That's what happens when a story writes itself lol.)**

**I WILL FREAKING BE ACTIVE SOMETIME. ISH. YEAH. WHICH IS WHY I'M APOLOGIZING THROUGH PUBLISHING THIS CHAPTER. Until then, I must go study and stuff. Ugh. Well...yeah. I'll reply to PMs/review stories/chill out soon. Hopefully. Bai.**

**Until next time~**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Have I ever mentioned the Fire Tribe arc was my favorite arc? With the Awa arc being a close second?**

**HOORAY FOR FEBRUARY. Hopefully I update more often. ;)**

**This chapter starts on Chapter 67, page 20. The flashback is Chapter 68's first few pages. I just realized that Kyo-Ga's actually pretty hot. And when he was a child he was really, **_**really**_ **adorable. Awwww. And Tae-Jun too. Everyone's adorable in AnY. Well, sort of. And shoot, my shipping problems are growing worse. Please, someone PM me and help me with mai ships. Pleaaaaaase. (God damn Soo-Won/Jae-Ha/Kyo-Ga for being too charming..)**

* * *

"_If you do not mind my impertence, what are you reading, my lord?" Li peered over her lord's shoulders. Although she was not recognized yet as anyone of importance, almost everyone in Saika Castle knew that Kyo-Ga was going to appoint her as his bodyguard when she would become more skilled. At age eleven, she was already proving herself to be a talented warrior, even with just three years of training. Kyo-Ga had personally ordered skilled soldiers to train her, and he already was planning the new name he would give the orphan when she would adopt her new occupation._

"_A story about the Four Dragon Warriors," Kyo-Ga said, a bright smile on his face as he read the book quietly. Behind the two silent children was the rambunctious little brother of Kyo-Ga, Lord Tae-Jun. The seven year old son of the Fire Tribe General was bouncing all over the place._

"_Oh, the Four Dragon Warriors! They're so cool!" Tae-Jun exclaimed, puffing his chest out proudly as he pounded his fist against it. He declared loudly, "When I grow up, I want to be like Hakuryuu!"_

_At the mention of the small and bouncy Tae-Jun turning into a fearsome warrior like the White Dragon, Li resisted the urge to giggle. Tae-Jun was the least intimidating out of his entire family, and although at times he exasperated her, Li felt as if the boy was truly light hearted. The same could not go for the rest of his family, although Li genuinely respected Kyo-Ga as both her savior and a fair boy._

"_What do you think of Zhong?" Kyo-Ga asked absentmindedly to Li. The girl blinked, golden eyes taking in the name and savoring it. There was a slightly fond look in her eyes as she tested the name her lord had given her on her own lips. Curiously, she turned to him._

"_Why Zhong?"_

"_He was a brave mortal who secretly helped and protected Hiryuu's identity as as a god. At least, that's what the book says." Glancing over annoyedly towards an excited Tae-Jun, Kyo-Ga deadpanned, "The part with the Four Dragon Warriors having powers isn't real, you know."_

_Tae-Jun deflated and looked like a defeated puppy as Li nudged him gently and sent Kyo-Ga a scolding look before remembering her position and quieting again._

"_But King Hiryuu was real. He was the founder of Kouka." Kyo-Ga's father's voice interrupted their conversation as Kyo-Ga looked up to his father in awe and slight reverence._

"_Really? Founder...does that mean we're King Hiryuu's descendants?" The boy began murmuring ideas in a more muted version of Tae-Jun's excitement as Li couldn't help but give a small smile at her lord's childishly innocent expression._

"_Kyo-Ga, keep this in mind. King Hiryuu was the dragon of fire. The people of the Fire Tribe are proud of being descendants of a god. People descended from a god...one day, you will succeed me. Your existance will become one equal of that of King Hiryuu."_

_Kyo-Ga's expression was like an open book, and easily Li could read his inner thoughts. He was excited and felt special, obviously buying into his father's words. Perhaps...perhaps if she had still been with her family, Li might have been the same way if her mother had told her such a thing, but that was a thing of the past. The eleven year old was here, with Kyo-Ga, and even though she couldn't protect her family, she could at least protect her savior._

* * *

"The Kai Empire's national army is on our tribe's land?" Kyo-Ga whipped around, his eyes wide as he glanced at the kneeling soldier who had delivered the message. He did not show any sign of weakness or nervousness, as the future Fire Tribe General had to remain strong under all circumstances, but inwardly Kyo-Ga was a mess. Confused.

"Yes, sir. Sen Province's Li Hazara is leading ten thousand men. They've passed the border and are currently marching towards Saika." The soldier that was kneeling obviously did not want to be the messenger of such news as he kept his head bowed, not daring to look Kyo-Ga in the eyes. Not many soldiers would, except maybe _her_.

"Wh-why? Why is the Sen Province doing this so suddenly? Even if they are an enemy nation, to attack suddenly with no negotiations…" Kyo-Ga's reasoning was cut off by the sound of his father's voice, and unconsciously his posture straightened as he turned around to meet his father's cool eyes.

"Calm down, Kyo-Ga." Kyo-Ga's father looked unnaturally calm as he said, "Making a fuss over it won't change the fact the Sen Province came for war. Yous hould be able to see what needs to be done now."

"...yes." Kyo-Ga acknowledged, and although he wished he could have never issued another order for preparation for war again, he _did_ see what had to be done. Foreign soldiers that already had made their way on Kouka soil...he never thought he'd live to see the day. Kyo-Ga took a deep breath before he turned to the soldiers that had gathered before him, and with a swift gesture of his hand, Kyo-Ga ordered, "Send letters out to all of the government offices! Gather the troops at the North-East fort, Rokka. Guards, go to the concourse! Tighten the guard outside of the capital walls. Prepare for combat!"

They followed his orders without a word, as the soldiers prepared themselves to go into battle. Kyo-Ga watched as his men assembled, standing alone on a platform that overlooked the entire training ground, as his father asked, "What is Tae-Jun doing?"

"I wouldn't know about that big idiot," Kyo-Ga said scathingly. Zhong had told him, before her disappearance, that Tae-Jun had potential that he was not seeing. However, nothing that he had observed of his brother indicated anything rather than the fact that he was an idiot and a woeful crybaby.

"Well, given the circumstances, he'll definitely run back here." His father said offhandedly, but Kyo-Ga paid him no heed.

He banged his fist against the wooden surface of the balcony as he gritted his teeth. "Damn you, Li Hazara! A surprise attack...have you no shame?" His entire body began shaking as his eyes narrowed in anger, his mind chanting over and over agian: _we will not lose_. "Come if you want. We are the descendants of King Hiryuu! No matter how many thousands of troops you throw at us, we'll burn all of them with the fire of Hiryuu."

They were destined to win. The heavens had to smile upon them, as the descendants of Hiryuu. They were the mighty Fire Tribe, and he refused to bow to an army of foreigners, tribal pride spreading within his chest as his gaze remained firmly on his trembling fist. His father watched silently, and if Kyo-Ga were to turn around he would have seen a much, much darker look flash through his beloved father's eyes. But he didn't, caught up in his own anger.

"Pardon my intrusion!" A soldier saluted as he entered the room. Delivering the news swiftly but aptly, the man reported, "Li Hazara's army has broken through the Rokka gates. He is still marching forward!"

Kyo-Ga's look of sheer hatred and anger seemed to intensify as he turned around, the expression on his face making the soldier step back a few feet. "Are you telling me that the Fire Tribe's pride, the gates of Rokka, have fallen?" His face glowered in anger with every gritted out word. "At this rate, LI Hazara's army will arrive at Saika!"

"What are your orders, sir?" The soldier asked dutifully.

"Fetch me my sword and horse." Kyo-Ga and the soldier both looked shocked as they looked over to his father, who had spoken with quiet yet intense authority. "I will go and defend the fort that is ahead of Rokka. You defend Saika Castle," his father ordered.

"I refuse! Father, you are a general! If someone needs to go, I will…" Kyo-Ga's expression was now one of worry, and inwardly he recalled the times when his father would allow him to read fairy tales of dragons and the sky. His father...going into battle?

"The next head of the Fire Tribe, _Kan Kyo-Ga_. This war was probably bestowed upon us by the heavens as good fortune. This will show the strength of the Fire Tribe to the whole kingdom. There will be a time when everything will end for me. When that time comes, I will give everything of mine to you. But before that, as the next head of the Fire Tribe, you must protect this Saika Castle no matter what!" His father lectured, eyes as cold as steel, a firm reminder of their stations.

Kyo-Ga, after a moment of silence, bowed his head in defeat and followed his father towards where the soldiers were waiting.

"I will set up an encampment around the area near Kah-Sho gate. Don't worry. Right now, reinforcements from King Soo-Won's army have been called," General Soo-Jin ordered, never looking more authoritative as his eyes flashed with power. The man took the sword handed to him by one of his subordinates as he mounted his horse.

"I wish you luck," Kyo-Ga said gravely as his father gave a nod before kicking his horse and roaring to his soldiers, "Let's go!"

Kyo-Ga watched his father's fleeting back with both pride and a tad bit of suspcion.

"_Beware of who you trust, Kyo-Ga. I will not always be by your side to help you."_

Riding away from his son, Kan Soo-Jin, Fire Tribe General and accomplice of Li Hazara, smirked. _Just as planned._

* * *

Li-Hua and Ryu could not get back to their base quick enough. Jae-Ha had obviously sensed her inner turmoil, and after gripping her shoulder and whispering a quick "stay safe", he had let her go. She would have to thank the emerald haired man later: his support was the only thing that kept her from falling off the edge into insanity. _Her _Kouka...her land, being invaded by foreigners with help from the inside. How _dare_ they, she seethed. The country that she and all of her friends had strived to protect would not be brought down due to their own countrymen. She refused to let that happen.

Ryu and Li-Hua had quickly put back on their armor before rushing back to the base. They didn't even need to give identification: the soldiers who were guarding the Castle took one look at them, lowly soldiers who had been on patrol duty or some sort, and ushered them in. They needed every soldier they could get.

Rushing through the hallway of the barracks and heading to the room that Ryu and Li-Hua shared with Eun and Chung-Hee, Li-Hua silently prayed. They had to be safe. She wouldn't lose another one close to her...no, she absolutely _refused_ it. Ryu threw open the door to their room, but was met with silence.

Empty.

A voice echoed behind them. "They were recruited into battle."

Both Ryu and Li-Hua turned around to see Seung. A relieved smile broke across her face as she simply allowed herself to think, _at least one of them were still safe _before she quickly realized what Seung had said. "Eun and Chung-Hee?" she asked incredulously, panic starting to sink in as she openly showed her shock.

_Nononono...please not them. Please not them._

"Yeah. They rounded up a bunch of soldiers by number and sent them off to follow General Soo-Jin. Vice General Kou and Lord Kyo-Ga are in charge of protecting Saika Castle," Seung informed neutrally, just the slightest tremor in his voice indicating his shock as Ryu suddenly punched the wall.

_They were gone._ Eun and Chung-Hee, her newest yet strangely close friends, had been sent with the other soldiers to their doom, unknowingly. An animalistic flash of sheer anger and bloodthirst appeared in Li-Hua's eyes before being quickly masked by regret. _She was too late. Again._

"Damn it," Ryu breathed as he punched it again in both desperation and anger as he sank to his knees, leaning against the wall. His hands were buried in his hands as he said in a muffled voice, "Damn it. We were too late."

That seemed to break the spell Li-Hua was in as she straightened herself, face smoothing over as she offered her hand to Ryu, who slowly took it. Although there was still a strong, primative voice in her head that roared for vengeance and for blood to be spilled, she shoved it back in the far corners of her mind. Her ears were slightly ringing, but she managed to keep her composure straight.

"We're never too late," Li-Hua said steadily, pulling the man up to his feet. "Ryu, Seung is the same slightly sadistic but good hearted guy you remember. He was my second in command, and I still trust him even now. I had originally discovered several documents indicating something like this would happen, but…"

"Wait…" Ryu backtracked. "Something like this? How would there be any documents that would say that the Sen Province would...unless…" His eyes widened as he realized what was going on as well, piecing together her disappearance, the sudden invasion, and the steadily progressing invasion that Li Hazara was commanding. "Li Hazara and General Soo-Jin?"

"Possibly. The account numbers were lacking, as if they were going to some other source that wasn't documented. Despite that...records of the supposed missions going into the Kai Empire were nonexistant, as if someone wanted to cover up the fact that they were making contact with them. And the wars...Soo-Won thought it was strange that we were attacking Xing when the Kai Empire was so close to us, but…" Li-Hua shook her head desperately, groaning and cursing herself inwardly for being such an idiot. "I don't know why I haven't seen it before."

"It's much more deep than I thought…" Ryu's voice trailed off as he seemed to partially shake off his stupor. "What are we waiting here for? You came to talk to Lord Kyo-Ga, right?"

"Wait," Seung's voice stopped them as he held out a bundle that was wrapped in some cloth. "I manage to retrieve this in the midst of confusion."

Li-Hua unwrapped it gently, and slowly a smile spread over her face as she recognized her signature twin hooked swords. Crafted out of the strongest steel, the tips of the swords were blades that curved inwards, allowing her to trip opponents or attack when they least expected it. The ends of the hilts were sharpened in the instance of short ranged fighting, and the crescent guards were helpful in blocking and slashing. Testing gently, she attached the two swords together loosely, and experimentally, she held the weapon outwards, seeing that her range was still about six feet.

These weapons were her pride and joy, a combined effort of Soo-Won, Yona, Hak, and even Kyo-Ga for a gift. She missed their familiar weight in her hands, and she easily took the sheathes wrapped in the cloth and slung them over her shoulder, sheathing her weapons. Turning to Seung, she simply said, "Thank you."  
Both of the men knew the weight of her words and exactly how much those weapons meant to her.

"I will now confront my lord. You two, please talk to Vice General Kou and give him...this." Li-Hua rummaged through her belongings hidden inside the bedroom before handing Ryu her dragon hairpin. The signature item she wore into battle, a good luck charm that she always had kept on her. Swallowing, Li-Hua managed to say, "Good luck, you two, and don't get caught. Vice General Kou will understand, I've met the man personally and he is the epitome of what you may call 'justice', and I'm sure he has no knowledge of the plot."

She turned away and began walking to where she knew she would find Kyo-Ga, not looking back.

* * *

Kyo-Ga was in the middle of examining a map of the Fire Tribe, marking the places that Li Hazara had already invaded. Although the fort Rokka was taken, if they managed to hold Saika and several other strategic points, they would be able to drive the invaders out of Kouka. It was all a matter of strategy, which he knew his father would not lose in. In all the years of him playing _ougi _with his father, Kyo-Ga had never won. Not even once.

He had just marked the route that his father should be taking when the door slammed open. Immediately, the man was on his guard, hand inching towards his sword as he thought _what had happened to the guards? Had they been defeated? How?_

But then that thought quickly vanished as he met the soldier's eyes.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"Li," he barely breathed as her golden eyes met his, the tiniest bit of amusement flickering through her eyes and the tiniest bit of regret as well. Kyo-Ga had forgotten nearly everything about titles, or ranks, or social classes in that instant as he stood up, almost in a trance as he walked towards the woman. He was half afraid she would slip out of his grasp again, but when she made no indication to move he pulled her close for a moment in a soft embrace.

Neither occupant spoke for a moment as he felt her lean into his chest, allowing for one moment of weakness before they both pulled back. There was something sad in her eyes, and slowly realization dawned in his eyes as he simply said with a tinge of regret, "I failed you, didn't I?"

The small trickles of doubt that had been tickling the back of his mind were now roaring in his head like a full storm. Fragments of memories flashed through his head.

"_She went missing in action, Kyo-Ga. I'm sorry to say that Li Hui Zhong is most likely dead."_ His father's voice, sounding cold and uncaring as he gave the news to him personally.

"_Too bad, now, isn't it? We all knew you were close to her." _Tae-Jun's innocent voice, not really understanding how much of a pillar of support the woman had been to her.

Finally, his own voice echoed in his head, trembling. "_Why didn't she tell me that she was going to go on a mission?"_

"You never failed me." Her statement sounded slightly bland as she elaborated, closing her eyes for a moment and taking in a deep breath before continuing, "It was my decision to go, and I was fully aware of the risks." She paused for a moment before adding more hesitantly, "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to say goodbye."

The words hardly made an impact on Kyo-Ga as he stared at her with such bitter eyes. She was his bodyguard, but before that she was also his best friend. And while he had been so _blind_ and caught up in the whirlwind of the stupidity also known as patriotism, he had failed to see the big picture. Everything that she had been hinting at before her disappearance, the supposed missing in action report, even those documents that even he had acknowledged as fishy.

How could he have been so blind?

"Would you like to give me an order, my lord?" Her voice stopped his internal ramble as he glanced up into her eyes. He had seen so many sides of her: Li, the orphan and his childhood friend. Li-Hua, the mysterious yet caring daughter and sister. And Li Hui Zhong, his trusted right hand woman and most loyal subordinate. Now, she was Zhong again, as they slipped into their familiar roles.

Would he betray his own family, for the sake of his country?

Would he betray his beloved father, who had entrusted so much to him yet kept so much away from him? The father that had, despite his faults, watched him grow since his birth?

"Stop him," he said weakly, knowing the full weight of his command as he lowered his head. He already knew that Zhong would complete her task, or die trying in the process. "Stop my father from committing treason against our own country. Stop him from tarnishing our ancestors' names any further."

A smile quirked on her face as she fell to her knees, bowing her head and putting a hand to her chest in respect. She had unsheathed her swords, striking both of them into the ground with a heavy thump as she muttered in a low voice, "As you wish, my lord."

* * *

Li-Hua did not knock as she simply pushed the doors of Vice General Kou's office open, greeting both Seung and Ryu with a terse nod before bowing before the surprised looking man who had previously been negotiating and in deep conversation with the two. "Vice General Kou," she acknowledged, saluting dutifully.

"Li Hui Zhong...I never thought I'd live to see the day when the supposed dead would walk the earth again," the man mused. Even from where she was standing, Li-Hua could feel the aura of power radiating from the man, similar to the one Kyo-Ga's father always had, albeit less intimidating. "What do you ask of me, if what these men are saying is true?"

"I understand that you'd need solid evidence of such treason," Li-Hua said, closing her eyes. "However, my presence alone is something important. I ask for support. I am going to rendezvous with General Soo-Jin's troops, and there I will stop a civil war from breaking out. My authority is more far reached than you think, sir. You know it is."

"Indeed," Kou admitted, inwardly recalling the vigorous searches that her own men had held after her disappearance. Although they were not allowed to leave and search for her, it was obvious the men that had previously been under Li Hui Zhong had been discontent with the new leader the higher ups had appointed. Li Hui Zhong had a reputation to be reckoned with: enemies and allies feared her alike for her abilities.

And every soldier who had served under her or even heard of Li Hui Zhong respected her.

"I want to stop this war," Li-Hua said bluntly, leaning closer to the man as she stared straight into his eyes, unwavering. "I will not stand for this to go on any longer. Not only is our Tribe's name being stained with the title of traitors, but the Emperor...my _friend_ is out there." She did not elaborate on her relationship with Emperor Soo-Won, although anyone who could hear obviously knew the gossip that the rumor mill was always going on about, and how she and the nephew of the then-Emperor Il had been extremely close.

Continuing with unrelenting force, she counted out the details. "The rest of the Tribes will soon join the war. Earth will side with the Emperor, and if it came down to it the Wind Tribe would as well. Water would try to stay neutral, as always, but as their views oppose the Fire Tribe's, they will eventually go against us as well. We would be on our own, and at that point Kai will seize the opportunity to take us over and eventually drive Kouka apart from the inside."

The resounding truth of the statements was enough to hit home. Kou sighed, looking years beyond his age as he wondered where exactly their Tribe had gone wrong. Looking out of the window for a glum moment, he nodded his head in response. "Very well. Take five hundred troops, no more, no less. Any larger and the Kai soldiers will capture you all. I'm expecting for them to start camping outside of the walls tonight, so you must leave before the Sun sets."

"That will be enough for me." A wry grin spread across her face, along with something more sinister that seemed to shadow her eyes. Kou saw he was not the only one uncomfortable with her sudden change in demeanor: even though he knew Seung and Ryu to both have served under her, they too were wary of the woman's more _dangerous_ side.

"Five hundred? Against ten thousand soldiers?" He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You forget, sir, that General Soo-Jin has quite a nice number of troops as well. And they stand behind him only because of duty. The conditions of the common soldier are hardly fair, thus their loyalties are standing on nothing but Tribal pride and the threat of death upon abandonment." Li-Hua looked fairly relaxed as she glanced at the clock for a moment. "And I expect that General Soo-Jin will be joining forces with the Kai forces against Soo-Won's. If I can manage to negotiate a truce of some sort...perhaps…"

"What are you planning?" The man watched the golden eyed woman warily. With every murmured word, she was painting herself to be just the leader that everyone spoke of her to be. Brave, willing to take risks, passionate about her country and men, but undoubtedly…undoubtedly… Kou's thought trailed off for a moment as he stopped to listen.

"Cut off the head of the snake and it stops moving." Her eyes glinted like a predator's as a wicked grin spread across her lips, an almost insane look in her eyes. "I will take down Li Hazara and his men, and restore Kouka to its former state of honor and power. Even if it means I have to kill ten thousand men in the process."

...undoubtedly merciless against her enemies.

The Red Falcon, the berserker who was known to always be covered in metallic red from head to toe when finished with a battle, had returned. And she had returned with a vengeance.

* * *

**A/N: WARNING. LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE. SEMI IMPORTANT. **

**I will now make a sort of long author's note explaining a bit about Li-Hua's character. I had hinted before that she had less than pretty characteristics under her usual self, although those were a little hard to find and I doubt many of you would have caught that. I frankly believe in a well rounded character. I don't believe in Mary Sues, as I think that any character can have a dramatic past, but it's more about how well they mesh with the world and are written in their works. And so that's why Soo-Won and Jae-Ha are both some of my favorite characters: they have sides of them that are different but **_**can**_ **be explained due to their upbringing. Soo-Won's sudden murder of King Il frankly had to have motivation behind it, and my personal theory is that Kei-Sook may have played a role in convincing him to do that, or King Il might have even asked him to. That sounds like something Soo-Won would do, and despite comments I've read in the past about him being a 'cold blooded murderer', I frankly believe that he's a good character.**

**Now, Li-Hua on the other hand, has her strong points. She's fiercely loyal to those who she trusts, and although she may act independent and strong, she has her own breaking points. Her alleigance to her country, similarly to Soo-Won, is very strong. And she is not going to be the completely fluffy heroine that Yona is: Li-Hua is a soldier, and soldiers kill. Psychologically, this may affect her. No matter how much AnY may seem like a fluffy shoujo manga, it has its dark moments. King Il's murder, Yang Kum Ji's (Yona was only affected by murdering someone for about a chapter before bouncing back on her feet), and definitely Zeno's past. And this is why this story will not just be fluff and rainbows with Li-Hua riding off into the sunset with an OOC Jae-Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Not happening.**

**As you've probably interpreted from earlier flashbacks, this story may have its dark moments. So...yeah. Just at times. Hooray. Plot. -_-**

**A HUNDRED FREAKING FOLLOWERS?! I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD NOW! (Lol I half joke, ok? ...half joke...)**

**AND REGARDING YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, I STILL LOVE YOU ALL. SO, SO HARD. GOD, YOU ALL MAKE MY CLASSMATES THINK I'M INSANE. Every. Single. Person. Reading. This. I _love_ you. Seriously. Yes, you.**

**As a thank you, I'm opening up something quite interesting. Not sure if it'll go anywhere, but _IF YOU'D LIKE TO REQUEST A SHORT OMAKE REVOLVING A PROMPT or ASK LI-HUA QUESTIONS_, feel free to mention that in your review. The omakes can be whatever you guys want, whatever prompt, whatever characters, whatever time period. I'm particularly suffering from Jae-Ha withdrawal. Gah. This is open basically for the rest of the story.**

**ILY all so much. Peace.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I have a forum for AnY up. Check it out, the link's on my profile. ;) Sorry for the long wait, more info on the bottom.**

* * *

"_When we grow up, what do you think we'll be like?"_

_Soo-Won blinked in surprise at the question before a peaceful, relaxed smile settled over his face. "What brought this up?" He couldn't help but ask curiously, leaning a bit closer to her as he swung his legs back and forth. Soo-Won and her were sitting side by side, sitting on the rooftop of the palace. If any of the servants caught them, they were sure to be reprimanded, but Soo-Won liked the thrill. The prospect of being able to escape castle life, even if just for a little, was always so tempting that he'd head to the roof occasionally to think._

_She had been the person to find while the castle servants searched fruitlessly on the ground. But instead of immediately reporting him to his uncle or father, as she should have done, she instead had asked him one thing, "Mind if I come up there too?"_

_That question, so simple yet crisp without any false cheerfulness or flattery, had been a breath of fresh air in the world of royalty, and all he could give was a small nod._

_It had not taken the trained bodyguard much time to scale the wall and climb up beside him, and they had stayed mostly silent for most of the time they were up there. Soo-Won knew the girl to be quite skilled, considering she was going to be the designated bodyguard of Kan Kyo-Ga despite her age, but besides that he didn't really know the girl._

_The girl herself looked surprised at her comment, and quickly her face flushed red as she amended, "I'm sorry, Lord Soo-Won. I shouldn't bother you-"_

"_It's fine," Soo-Won interrupted, not wanting to continue castle formalities. "Just call me Soo-Won. I'm nothing special."_

"_You're the Emperor's nephew," she pointed out with a small breezy laugh, but it was obvious that her stance had relaxed more as she gave him a bright smile, holding out her hand as she said, "I am called Li Hui Zhong. Or I will be, at least."_

_He, however, had been trained in the art of observing people. As the nephew of the Emperor and his father's son, he knew how to read people and the smallest signs which indicated their mood. So instead of taking her hand, he asked a question. "Is that what you like to be called?" Soo-Won questioned, and for a split second the girl's eyes flickered with some kind of emotion as a smaller, wry grin tugged at her face. She did not answer. Soo-Won let the matter go, as instead he chose to say, "Great."_

"_Great?" Her interest peaked, the girl glanced over to him again._

"_We're going to become something great someday," he confirmed confidently, and the girl raised her eyebrows somewhat skeptically at the bold declaration. In elaboration, although Soo-Won couldn't figure out why he was explaining himself to the girl of all people, he said, "I want to make our country the best. I want it to be a place that everyone can proudly call home."_

_She was quiet for a moment before saying softly, "A worthy goal."_

"_And you?" He prompted, although Soo-Won still couldn't figure out why he wanted to continue the mainly one-sided conversation._

_She took a deep breath for a moment, staring off somewhere in the distance. The look on her face was so forlorn and lonely that for a moment Soo-Won truly forgot their positions and just wanted to reach out and touch her shoulder. Instead, with a bit of noglastic and resoluteness, she turned to face him. Her golden eyes, flecked with hazel and green, truly met his and in that moment time seemed to stop._

_He held his breath as the world around him buzzed uselessly, trying to get his attention. Everything felt as if he was submerged, as if he was in the world while not at the same time._

_Their gazes held like that for at least a few moments before she broke the stillness, saying with a determination that seemed unwavering, "I want to protect my home. I want to protect the people closest to me. I don't want to lose anything ever again."_

"_Then we'll both be working to our goals, then?" Soo-Won tilted his head, offering his hand with a small but genuine smile on his face._

_She took it firmly, with no hesitation as she confirmed, "Yeah."_

"_Let's try this again," Soo-Won said breezily, completely changing the course of conversation as they locked eyes again. A broad smile spread across his face as he said, "My name is Soo-Won. I like playing strategy games, tea, and sparring with my friend Hak. And your name is?"_

_She stared at him for a moment mutely before her shoulders slumped and she sighed, defeated. A hesitant smile appeared on her face as well as she replied, her eyes gentle. "I like reading with Kyo-Ga and plum blossoms. I like tea too. You...you can call me by my real name. Call me Li-Hua."_

"_Nice to meet you, Li-Hua," he offered in response, and something about him saying her true name made the girl fully smile as she closed her eyes, almost seeming as if she was relishing the sound of her true name again._

"_And you too, Soo-Won." Glancing down below in the courtyard, where servants were still frantically calling Soo-Won's name, she nudged him (albeit a bit hesitantly) and said promptly, "I think that we should head down."_

"_Sure." He paused for a moment, and before he could doubt himself any longer, he let the rest of the words flow out. "Do you know the next time when you'll be around Kuuto?" Soo-Won asked, trying not to sound too eager. It had been a long time since he had someone who was willing to treat him as Soo-Won, not as Lord Soo-Won or any other title people may have bestowed on him. _

_Something about Li-Hua felt like he could trust her enough to let his guard around her, and although he knew he should be more cautious with strangers, he was fairly sure that the two of them were one and the same, and that Li-Hua must have been feeling the same connection. Not only that, but she had no expectations of him and him of her. He didn't expect her to protect him: that was his bodyguards' jobs. And she didn't expect him to protect her, as Yona did, nor be interested in things like sparring all the time, as Hak did._

_The freedom of their relationship was tantalizing, and maybe that was why he first reached out to her when he could have stayed silent during the brief period of time they were up on the roof._

"_Probably the next General meeting." She shrugged nonchalantly, and as she began her descent to the ground she glanced up for a moment and asked quietly, almost vulnerably, "Will you wait for me until then?"_

"_I don't see why not."_

_That was the start of their friendship._

* * *

"You're freaking crazy," Ryu laughed breezily as he adjusted his position on his horse awkwardly, pushing his sheath more to the left and allowing himself a moment to savor the blowing desert winds which tossed his ginger locks in the air. His emerald green eyes were shining with excitement and slight anticipation.

"You know I can pull it off though," Li-Hua replied absentmindedly, too invested in her thoughts to make more of a proper reply. She had pinpointed the most likely location Kan Soo-Jin would rendezvous with Li Hazara, according to the direction and speed both armies were moving at. Soo-Won must also be taking action, although she was unsure if the man had deduced the secret alliance between the Fire Tribe general and Li Hazara yet. If she were to make her move, it'd have to be right before the two armies came in contact with Soo-Won's to minimize conflict.

"We know you can," Seung confirmed to her right. The olive green eyed man was also mounted on his horse, and although his face seemed relaxed, his frame was tense and prepared to go into battle. He trusted Li-Hua, and that was something that scared her. The responsibility of five hundred men were on her shoulders, and if she made one wrong decision the entire group would pay for it. "And that's what's crazy about it."

"Hm," she hummed thoughtfully. Li-Hua's mind was half there and half not, so she did not bother to respond any more than that.

Seung sighed, already recognizing his boss's vacant look. She would only wear it when in deep concentration, and in the past he had learned not to bother her when she was in such a state. Being Li Hui Zhong's assistant had its perks, and one of those was being able to read the raven haired woman's subtle changes in expressions to judge her mood. She was nervous, although Seung personally couldn't figure out why. His commander had always managed to pull out fine in the end.

At first, Seung recalled, he had been skeptical of having a female commander. It wasn't like he was a misogynist: he respected women, however he was doubtful of Li-Hua's physical capacity until his commander finally proved herself. She saved his life, along with about thirty others, and had walked away before he could give a word of thanks. Still, he had ran up to the woman coated in red blood that he paid no heed to, questioning his initial judgement. Seung had asked why she had risked her life for them. The answer she gave was so simple, yet surprisingly genuine that he had been struck silent.

"_You all are under my command. I won't let any of my soldiers die under my watch."_

After that, Seung followed her without question. Ryu was the same way: he too had experienced war unde Li-Hua's command, and that was why both men were still riding alongside her.

"You two can go back, you know. It'll be dangerous. What we're going to do is sort of like a gamble, and if something goes wrong, our lives will be the price," Li-Hua stated, ever truthful in her words as she casted a glance to both Seung and Ryu. Seung gave her a half lipped smile and a confident shrug as he glanced over to Ryu, who simply gave a nod and a grin.

"Why, Li, you can't just expect us to leave our darling commander by herself now, can we?" Ryu chided, still giving her that overly wide beam as both Li-Hua and Seung rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"It'll be very amusing to see General Soo-Jin squirm~" Seung added, his ever present poker face relaxing into a bright smile with dark intentions laced underneath his casual tone. His voice darkened as he added innocently, "That bastard."

"Seung," Li-Hua warned. The man gave his superior a sour look before quieting down, and all was silent as Li-Hua motioned for her group of five hundred men to follow her. The Sun was beginning to set, with part of the Kai Empire's forces beginning to set up camps outside of the city, when she led them towards the West. There was a group of about fifty soldiers lying in the way between their group and the way to Kan Soo-Jin's army.

The soldiers from the Kai Empire were busy setting up camps and campfires, and barely got the opportunity to scramble and grab their weapons before they were ambushed by Li-Hua's group.

"_Silence them quickly_," she hissed once before unsheathing her swords and linking them together. With a single rotational swipe, Li-Hua cut the throats of six men and used one of the falling men's bodies to propel herself upwards as she broke her swords apart again, reversing the grip of the sword in her right hand and proceeding to annihilate the enemy.

"This isn't the main battle, so we need to get through as soon as possible," Seung said quietly to the men who were struck in awe by the sheer ferocity and relentless barrage of attacks Li-Hua was dealing on the enemy. Slash after slash downed more and more men as the smell of blood filled the air. Ryu had already started to join her, but as Li-Hua's former second in command Seung was used to knowing his partner's routine and what he had to do. Rally the troops, step back, and spot any dangers to their mission and take care of them.

"Aim for vitals and hightail it out of here before their comrades figure out what's wrong. We can't afford to lose men here," Li-Hua instructed, appearing to the right of her group as her hand outstretched to block a thrown spear with her sword. Her eyes were glinting with bloodlust, a look that Seung had not seen in quite sometime. "Hurry. Be cautious, even though we have the advantage now…"

Li-Hua left that thought unfinished for the soldiers following her as she continued to mow down their enemies. Seung's eyes darted calculatively around the camp, searching for soldiers, when he spotted a soldier stumbling off with a stab wound in his chest towards the direction of another Kai Camp off in the distance.

If even one man escaped, the man could reveal their plot to the entire portion of Kai's army that was guarding Saika. They could not afford that. Seung's eyes hardened as he did not allow himself to show any weakness, giving a sign towards the remaining men and nodding before slinking off into the shadows. He clutched his sword tightly as he made his way towards the soldier, who once spotting him, paled considerably.

"P-please, I have a family. It was on his orders...I'll tell you anything you want to know!" The man said desperately, but his voice was quickly silenced.

_Swoosh._

Seung pulled the sword out of the man's chest as he tsked at the copper smelling liquid that had stained it. He'd have to clean it later. Turning his attention back to the fallen soldier, whose face clearly spelled that he had no idea why he had been murdered, Seung gave the man a bright smile that only a sadist like him could give. "Sorry, but I doubt information from a lowly footsoldier would do us any good."

Seung rotated around, stabbing the man who had tried to sneak up on him in the heart, and started heading back to the camp. It seemed as if Li-Hua's men finally began fighting, having been rallied by their leader's success. The resistance from the Kai soldiers was squashed in mere laid strewn on the ground, red liquid staining the dry desert ground. Seung shot Li-Hua and Ryu both a bright smile as he asked, "Ready to move forward?"

Li-Hua barely casted a glance at him as she moved past him to mount her horse. Before she did, however, she paused and murmured quietly, "Good work, Seung. Ryu. Let's keep moving."

The two soldiers (they were not just boys: they were soldiers, killers who killed under the name of justice and their country) both gave a curt nod as they replied, "Yes, ma'am."

They would do what they must for their country.

* * *

"We made it," Li-Hua said, mainly to herself as she closed her eyes and thanked the heavens as she took in the sight of a large army of Fire Tribe soldiers marching towards the direction of the Sky Tribe. Ryu and Seung were still by her side, both with smiles on their faces.

"What do we do?" Seung asked first, directing his question towards his leader. Li-Hua paused, running through the various scenarios she had conjured and matching them up with the current situation. She surveyed the speed of the troops along with the approaching Kai army in the horizon. "Twenty minutes," she muttered.

"Twenty minutes?" Ryu repeated, raising his eyebrows to prompt her to continue. His grip on his lance tightened a fraction as his gaze stayed unwaveringly on Li-Hua.

"Twenty minutes until the two armies converge and work to destroy Emperor Soo-Won's army," Seung translated for her. Turning to Li-Hua, he asked, "Our plan of action?"

"Kyo-Ga gave me an offer. I will follow it," Li-Hua simply said, flashing them all a tired smile. Turning to the five hundred men who silently followed her, she unsheathed one of her swords and shouted, "Are you all willing to fight for our country? For what is truly right?"

Her voice had projected across to all of the men.

The men, who at the beginning of the trip may have been more hesitant, seemed to have given their respect to Li-Hua after the 'small' skirmish with the other Kai soldiers. As if there was a sudden wave of confidence that washed over the soldiers, they all moved in unison, raising their swords while not uttering a single battle cry. It was a silent show of support, that carried across a much deeper message.

_We will follow you._

Good. Her lips curled up into a smirk as she closed her eyes for a moment, allowing memories of a more peaceful time to pass through her mind.

"_Want to go on an adventure outside of the palace?"_

"_Come with me, and I could show you the world."_

"_You're our friend, of course we'd help you out!"_

"_We missed you."_

Li Hui Zhong opened her eyes, preparing herself to wreak chaos among the troops below. She was ready. "To battle," she murmured quietly, her voice as soft as velvet.

"To battle," Seung and Ryu echoed gravely.

* * *

Extra Scene (requested by _Lynxkitten_)

Sometime before Li-Hua left the Group

Jae-Ha's emerald green eyes opened up just the tiniest fraction as he sleepily allowed his instincts to come into play. Noting that the spot across from him, where Li-Hua should have been sleeping, was empty, he lazily got up to his feet. Glancing up at the sky, he could tell that it was still well into the night, at maybe one or two in the morning. Daybreak was coming, although the only sign of such was the slight pink tint of the sky off in the distance.

It did not take him much effort or time to find his missing companion, laying sprawled out on a giant boulder, staring up at the sky. Her raven hair fell freely to her shoulders, and her golden eyes were focused solely on the outstretching scenery before her. A rare, peaceful smile was present on the woman's face, and he could tell immediately that she had sensed his presence when her smile quickly faded.

"Can't sleep?" Jae-Ha guessed, taking a step closer as he gave her his typical poker-faced smile. That smile was the most guarded of his, one that allowed nobody to see his true emotions. Although he didn't mean to, there was a slightly flirtatious tone to his words, although she must have either not picked up on it or not want to bother with it at all.

"I guess." Came her taciturn reply as she hardly glanced up to look at him.

"You look pretty when you smile," he couldn't help but comment as the woman rolled her eyes, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face.

"You're always such a flirt. If you keep saying things like that, whenever you actually find a girl you want to settle down with, she won't believe you," Li-Hua pointed out dryly.

"I'm a Dragon. I'm destined to die young anyways, so why bother making a commitment when I know I'll only leave people behind?" Jae-Ha countered, shrugging slightly. He had already accepted the fact that he, at twenty five years old, would eventually die. That might have been part of the reason that he was so reluctant to get closer to Yona. _They'd all leave her in the end._ Except for Hak, he acknowledged in his head, and even though Jae-Ha never really was comfortable with Hak and the Princess's close relationship, he found himself glad that at least one person in their group would still be there to watch over the red haired princess even after their deaths.

Li-Hua would also take care of the Princess, despite whatever she might say. The black haired woman truly cared for her childhood friends, Jae-Ha could tell.

"That's one way of looking at it," Li-Hua said thoughtfully, although a flicker of sadness seemed to appear in her eyes before they hardened. "Then shouldn't you be making the most of your life while you have it?"

"Look, I didn't come here to have another philosophical debate." Jae-Ha strode to her side with confidence, sitting down beside the woman before she could utter a word of protest. "I just want to enjoy the scenery."

"You, of all people, enjoying the scenery?" Li-Hua couldn't help but ask skeptically.

"Well, it is quite beautiful, however...I seem to be distracted by something even more beautiful," Jae-Ha purred, leaning closer to her as Li-Hua leaned back in response. The man pouted at the response, but quickly changed the subject as he asked, "Have you looked at the dawn properly before?"

"Properly?" She looked slightly amused, waiting to see what the green haired man would do now. "Do tell me what that means."

Instead of doing something like another flirtatious pun, Jae-Ha gave her another bright smile before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her on his back. Li-Hua's cheeks turned red as she sputtered, "W-what are you doing?"

"Wrap your arms around my neck," he instructed, and the woman obliged somewhat reluctantly. He grasped her legs with his hands as he tensed, and with one strong take off the two were in the air. He jumped from branch to branch, the wind blowing past them and making a rustling sound as it passed through the trees.

"They're going to notice we're missing," she pointed out, her grip on him tightening just the slightest bit.

"That's okay," he dismissed easily as her eyebrow twitched the slightest bit from his easygoing nature. That was the only sign of her disapproval, however, and the conversation quickly faded into silence again. His eyes scanned the region spread out before him until he finally came to a stop, allowing the woman to climb off his back.

"...is this a cliff?" She couldn't help but ask incredulously.

"Yes, yes it is." Jae-Ha confirmed, nodding his head in agreement as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked triumphant, staring off the edge of the cliff.

"...you're not expecting me to jump, are you?" Li-Hua asked, giving him a dry look. "Because if so I swear I will _never_ jump according to your instructions again."

"I'm not asking you to jump. I'm asking you to…" His arms reached out and prompted her to move more to her left, so that Li-Hua was facing the edge of the cliff. "...watch."

Li-Hua clearly looked unamused, but she did as he asked, her golden eyes searching the horizon for something that was worthy enough for her attention. "What am I supposed to be looking for?" she asked.

"Nothing. Yet." At his comment, she gave him an unimpressed expression, but he simply put a finger to his lips and gave her a smile.

As Li-Hua watched with a slightly skeptical but genuinely curious gaze, the scenery around her began to change. The clouds were turning a light pink color, as if the heavens themselves were lighting up. The sky, which had been dark, was slowly turning a beautiful shade of gold and pink, the Sun making its way to its proper place in the sky. Light itself had returned, with golden rays beginning to shine on the Earth once again, making the once dull ground turn a vivid green.

Life itself seemed to revive, as the birds began singing their sweet melodies. The flutter of wings shook the tree tops, and now Li-Hua could even distinguish the smallest sounds of the trickling of a creek behind them. She watched in silence as the scenery around her seemed to come alive almost in that exact moment, colors and sounds blending harmoniously into something that even the greatest poets could only describe as 'nature'.

She could have stood there the entire day, watching the valley below them come alive, but his voice interrupted her again. "Was it worth it?" Jae-Ha's voice sounded a bit playful as she turned to meet his eyes that were glinting with humor and a tad bit of smugness.

"I guess it was," she replied, the tips of her lips twitching just the slightest bit upwards as she took one last long look at the view around her before turning around. "We should head back now. The others will surely be up."

"Sure." Jae-Ha shrugged, and this time when he held out his hand to her she took it with admittedly less hesitation than she had in the past.

They were making progress. Sort of.

* * *

**A/N: I really, really love all of your support. Seriously. This month has been hectic, and now I can't really promise that I'll update really quickly. But I will update. I will.**

**This chapter was not edited as many times as I usually do, so there's probably some mistakes as I got tired halfway through and started half-typing lol. If there's any questions regarding Li-Hua, motives, etc., feel free to PM or review. Also, if you'd still like to request an extra scene, I'm still open for requests.**

**Ahhhh, AnY OCs really are getting more popular. I have plenty of really good stories favorited on my profile, although it'd take a while to scroll through my long list of favorites. ;) Feel free to recommend me one of yours. Etc.**

**Sorry for the long wait, again. RL sucks sometimes, and I was busy updating a few other neglected stories.**

**Thanks again for all your support. I really do read every review a thousand times, and I really do notice every single addition to the story, whether it be a favorite or a follow. Let's expand the AnY fandom even further now, haha~**

**Until next time!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thank you to all those who have viewed, favorite-ed, followed, or reviewed; especially my reviewers. I've read each one a thousand times, and I will get around to replying to them individually sometime (probably after this week). I read them. And so I thank you all for that.**

**On a side note, this chapter is pretty long. It was written to several soundtracks: _Fuhen_ from Samurai 7, _Time After Time_ from Detective Conan, _For Fruits Basket, _and a ton of Fairy Tail soundtrack. Just a fun note in case you want to listen to music.**

* * *

_It hurts..._

_It burns...it _burns, it bUrNs.

_She couldn't feel anything anymore._

_Her body flinched over and over again as multiple strikes lashed on her body, her not able to do anything but convulse in pain silently, her pain past the threshold of screaming. There was a faint sound of metal sizzling as she could do nothing but whimper. Her mind chanted the same thing over and over again. Please don't hurt me. Please, please, please just go away. Go away..._

_Her body screamed in protest, wanting to curl in on itself for some sort of defense, but if she moved, pain and fatigue would overwhelm her, and there was a weight on her hands that might have been chains, but she couldn't see anything because it was just so dark, plain pitch darkness except for the light of the glowing hot red metal-_

_She wanted to see them._

_SHE WANTED TO SEE THEM._

_That thought resonated through her mind, her very being as she closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she found herself relaxing in the sounds of their voices that her mind knew so well that it could conjure without any problem. A laugh, a teasing jab, a slightly awkwardly phrased question._

_The tinkling of the bells. The scent of the candle that flickered over old pieces of parchment late at night. A faint brush of skin over skin, an embarrassed apology-_

_And then her world exploded into a whole new level of pain as she couldn't do anything but scream and plead, a part of her mind mortified at the level she had sunk to as she sunk deeper and deeper into her state of misery and detachment-_

* * *

She rode to the front of the troop of Fire Tribe soldiers, waving the flag of the Fire Tribe above her head as she shouted, "I have an urgent message for General Soo-Jin! Let me through!"

Soldiers quickly moved to the side for her as Ryu and Seung followed her. Behind them, her group of five hundred soldiers quickly disseminated into the uniformed troop of marching soldiers and soldiers on horseback. Li-Hua had finally made it to the front when she heard a quick intake of air sound from her right.

"Li? What are you doing here?" Eun's worried eyes met her golden, and Li-Hua couldn't help but be washed over by the relieved feeling _they are safe_. Eun and Chung-Hee were both mounted on horses as well, and they quickly parted for her to reach General Soo-Jin. She gave Eun a small, secretive smile as she put a finger to her lips.

This would probably be the last time she would be able to speak to them informally like this again.

Li-Hua gave herself a moment to relish in Eun and Chung-Hee's surprised looks before she moved on.

Her heart was thumping in her chest. If this didn't work, Li-Hua would probably be banished from the Fire Tribe again. And she'd probably take Kyo-Ga and General Kou with her as well, as they had been involved in the plot too. The only small comfort she had was that both Ryu and Seung were still by her side, prepared for anything that may happen. She idly noticed that her lips were chapped, and licked them slowly as she tried to keep her expression neutral.

Riding up to General Soo-Jin, whose advance slowed as he allowed for her to make her way to him, Li-Hua dismounted from her horse and held out a piece of payment sealed with the official Fire Tribe crest. She didn't allow any signs of discomfort show in her posture or stance as she simply waited for the General to make his move.

Soo-Jin held up his hand, and with that motion, all movement of the troops behind him stopped nearly instantly. Slowly, he dismounted, his eyes clearly reflecting displeasure for being delayed although there was a small glint of curiosity in them as well.

There was a moment of silence as she stepped a pace closer to the General and turned to face both him and the men behind him. Everyone was watching her expectantly, and Li-Hua felt a flicker of doubt at that moment. Her plan was hardly foolproof, and even though she had gone through many other scenarios, there really wasn't anything she could come up with that was better. She didn't have enough troops to outwardly face Soo-Jin in battle, nor would she be able to hold her own against the Kai army with only five hundred troops.

Li-Hua unfurled the scroll, Ryu and Seung flanking to her left and right, their stances friendly but obviously tense. Their hands had slipped away from the hilt of their weapons, but both men were prepared to whip out their respective weapons in a moment's notice.

She cleared her throat and read, eyes never leaving the paper, "By the order of Lord Kyo-Ga, the functioning head of the Fire Tribe as of now, I am here to take you, General Soo-Jin of the Fire Tribe, into custody against charges of treason."

Li-Hua happened to glance up for a moment from her scroll just long enough to give a poisonously sweet smile at the General. "Lord Soo-Jin has violated not only the fundamental concepts that our Tribe strives to uphold, but also has been discovered to have conspired with another country against Emperor Soo-Won and Kouka itself, defiling the name of our ancestors in the name of justice but motivated by nothing but self greed. Do you have any protests? " Li-Hua raised her eyebrows challengingly, meeting Soo-Jin's furious eyes as the soldiers behind him began murmuring uncertainly.

There was yet another pause in the conversation as Soo-Jin seemed to mull over his options for a moment, fully aware of the confused behavior of the soldiers behind him. He obviously had not calculated the possibility of Kyo-Ga's betrayal in his plan, and this had thrown the entire plan for a loop. The chessboard had reversed on him, and now Soo-Jin was the one under attack, his own pawn turned against him. _Kyo-Ga...that brat..._his hand shook with anger, and that blatant fury began to manifest itself into words.

"Who do you _think you are?"_ The General hissed, and at this Li-Hua simply smirked and removed her helmet, allowing her hair to fall back down into its original feminine position. It was obvious that Soo-Jin recognized her, for his eyes widened in shock for a moment as he matched her face with the face that he knew long ago.

_Stop him. Stop my father._

She would heed her lord's order.

Unsheathing her swords, Li-Hua said, staring straight at his face, "I am Li-Hua, the girl whose family you destroyed. I am Li, the orphan that you yourself hired." She was still unwavering in both stance and confidence. Her voice became stronger in both volume and confidence as she said loud enough for all to hear, "_I am Li Hui Zhong, ex-commander of the Fire Tribe, Lord Kyo-Ga's most trusted confidant, and loyal citizen of Kouka_!"

There was a silence that accompanied her statement, the longest and most charged one yet. Li-Hua heard a sharp intake of air from where Eun and Chung-Hee were, but she did not turn her head to face them. Her gaze was still unwaveringly on Soo-Jin.

"You've returned, it seems," General Soo-Jin said lightly, his eyes flickering with so many emotions at the same time that Li-Hua couldn't discern them all in that very moment. Her gaze was level as she simply allowed a smirk to cross her features. Both battle-worn soldiers stared each other in the eye, the same thought playing in both of their minds:

_What will be your next move?_

Li-Hua was the one to move first. She turned to the group of soldiers behind her, all the thousands of faces that seemed to blend together yet at the same time stood apart from the masses. As she scanned over the crowd, she recognized many of them to be from her former troop she had commanded. The Fire Tribe, after all, had a heavy desertion penalty, and two years was not a long enough span of time for them to have died off. "All troops that wish to support me, to support Kouka, raise your swords," Li-Hua said quietly, her voice so much lower in volume than her previous shout, yet still managing to create just as much of an impact as her loud warcry.

Slowly, the soldiers began to move. First was Eun, giving her a slightly surprised but obviously supporting smile, then Chung-Hee, silently raising his sword and communicating his support only through his eyes. Then the masses began to move. She recognized each and every face from her old troop: Byung-Ho, Gyeong, Ha-Jun, Hyeon…

As if seeing their comrades raising their swords had stimulated the rest of them to join, slowly swords rose from the five hundred soldiers Li-Hua had previously commanded. It was a chain effect: a mass domino reaction that left a large portion of the troops that Soo-Jin was commanding raising their swords in an act of defiance against Soo-Jin and support towards her and their country. Whether it be out of a sense of duty to their country or a dislike towards Soo-Jin, Li-Hua knew that the move she just made was an effective one.

"Curse you," Soo-Jin barely breathed as he repeated, "Curse you. It was going to work, I was going to-"

"Betray our country and attempt to win against Emperor Soo-Won's troops and the Earth Tribe's troops?" Li-Hua supplied incredulously. "Sure, try it."

The man let out a furious roar, lunging towards Li-Hua with his drawn sword as the woman's face remained placid. There was the clinking sound of metal against metal as both Seung and Ryu moved simultaneously, blocking the attack. Although the General was strong, the combined force of both of the battle-hardened soldiers was enough for them to resist the man's strength as they pushed him back. Seung's sword was drawn as he kept it out, watching the General cautiously. The man looked like a cornered animal, and in these kind of situations people could become desperate. Ryu had retreated to behind Li-Hua, watching the soldiers in case one of them tried to attack her.

"Any last words before we lug you back to Emperor Soo-Won for a trial?" Li-Hua asked, a smirk curling on her face. Soo-Jin, however, simply returned her smirk, which made a small flash of surprise flicker on her face. The man seemed to have calmed down, even though seconds earlier he was in an unreasonable rage. Why?

"Game over," the man snarled. There was an insane look in his eyes. "If I'm going down, you shall go down with me, scum!"

Li-Hua stiffened for a moment as her body could barely move, hearing the sound of an arrow whizzing past her ear, too fast for her to stop. A shiver ran through her spine as her eyes darted upwards, identifying the assailant: Li Hazara, a smirk on his face.

_Chink._

.

.

No. _No. NO. _The world seemed to stop in that moment as she prayed, to whatever gods that might be watching them from the Heavens, that her suspicion of the sound was not what she thought it was. But Li-Hua was a trained soldier: she recognized the sound of metal against flesh easily. Her head moved, tilting to the right as her body turned around, and almost as if he was in slow motion Li-Hua watched as Ryu blinked at her in surprise, _redredredredred _blood bubbling from his throat as he began falling, falling, _falling-_

_..._

_..._

_..._

"_RYU!"_ The cry ripped from her throat, sounding purely like an anguished wail as she closed the small distance between them in less than a second, kneeling beside him, her voice shaking. "Oh god, oh god...Ryu...oh god, what do I do? R-Ryu, stay with me. Please," she barely breathed, hands shaking as she tried to access the wound. The arrow had gotten straight to his throat, and now it almost seemed as if his entire neck was covered in blood, just a shade darker than his fiery ginger locks.

Her entire world had came to a still-stop, and even though she heard the infuriated roars of Seung, Eun, and Chung-Hee (the infuriated roars of her _friends_), she couldn't focus on anything but Ryu's emerald green eyes. Her ears were buzzing, and it almost seemed as if she was underwater, for nothing else but her and Ryu seemed to exist in that very moment.

"Li," he tried saying, but only more blood bubbled up in his throat in protest. His eyes were so sad, so heartbreakingly sad and honest and pure as they gazed up at her with simple reverence and slight regret. Li-Hua hushed him, her voice still trembling and completely choked up as she said softly, "Don't talk, you idiot."

For once it seemed as if he was trying to defy her orders, as he gave her a big, wide grin that was so like Ryu and almost made her begin to sob. He trusted her. He followed her. He was _Ryu_, the person who had been closest to her in the long period she had spent masquerading as a soldier. He was the person who had held out a hand to her, asking if she wanted to go to an adventure.

"_We trust you."_

_Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT._

She banged her hand against the ground, not bothering with the slightly bloody scrape it made on her hands as her eyes, filled with grief and sadness, met his once again. His hand reached for hers weakly, and Ryu's hand rested over hers. The message was obvious.

_Don't blame yourself._

A choked sob ripped from her throat as she felt her eyes well with unshed tears. "Damn it Ryu," she barely breathed as her hand gripped his a little tighter. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry." The apologies began piling up in her throat as Li-Hua could do nothing but clutch Ryu's hand. "We'll get help. Eun's probably already running to get someone with medical expertise," she promised weakly. "When Soo-Won comes, I'm sure that he'll have some doctors along with him. He's always been prepared like that. Just...please, don't leave me."

Her mind was chanting that over and over again: _don't leave me. Please, don't leave._ Any other rational thought had been completely wiped from her mind.

Ryu's eyes simply stared into hers, still just as resigned and honest as before. He knew he wasn't going to make it: that the arrow had hit the one most vital point that was not covered in armor, the point that they as soldiers always aimed to hit when trying to kill. Just seeing the fact that Ryu, _Ryu_, the boy who had always told her to keep standing and keep fighting, was giving up was almost enough to break Li-Hua completely.

"Sorry," she said hoarsely, that word enough to make her entire body shake. "I'm sorry, Ryu. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

She half expected for her to hear some kind of cheeky reply back, maybe a 'it's pretty embarrassing to be told that from a girl, you know' accompanied with a sheepish chuckle or maybe a more honest 'I don't blame you', but there was nothing but deathly, dark silence. A silence that almost seemed to penetrate her heart completely as Li-Hua's shaky hands brushed aside his ginger locks carefully.

"...Ryu?" Li-Hua asked, almost hopefully, but again there was no response, his hand still resting limply on hers. That smile was still on his face: that annoyingly idiotic, bright smile that he had always flashed at her whenever he was about to do something stupid again just to make her cheer up, but this time when she looked into his eyes she saw no emotion, just a blank and deep emptiness.

"No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "No. Not Ryu. Please, please, not him. Don't take him from me. You can't…"

Had she been an ordinary girl, perhaps if she was still just Li the orphan, Li-Hua would have continued to sit there next to her friend's prone body and stare blankly. Instead, the woman took a deep breath, grief not only flickering across her figures but expressing itself through her entire being for a moment, a single tear slipping past her eyes as she closed his eyes, softly and gently. Her legs were shaky, but she managed to stand up, and turning around she could see that Seung was leading the battle against the Kai soldiers, Li Hazara, and Soo-Jin.

All her bottled up grief exploded and she let out a war cry, pure, undeniable rage coursing through her veins as she felt herself losing control of her own body. Blood was rushing through her body as rage fueled her, and Li-Hua began running at lightning speed towards the enemy, drawing her swords and only giving them a moment to notice her steadily approaching body before she began her attack.

Swipe after swipe, Li-Hua began downing men. She slashed the throat of an archer before turning around and stabbing the man who had tried to sneak up on her in the head. Quickly, her left hand reversed her grip so that the sword was facing outwards as she duly noted that she was surrounded. She spun around, bearing her swords out in front of her as she almost made something akin to a whirlwind with her blades, slashing down all six men who had tried ganging up on her.

Her eyes searched wildly, madly, for that person, _that man_, and when she had finally found his prominent figure among the mass of fighting and bloodshed and destruction, she grinned ferally, stabbing another man and literally jumping on his head as he was falling down, using his body to propel herself upwards and towards the direction of that man.

_She would not leave a single one of them alive._

As she landed from her jump, Li-Hua quickly disarmed the man who had tried to kill her with a dagger (_hah_, a dagger of all things) before slicing in half all of the bows of the archers who were about to aim for her men. _Not under her watch. Not again._

She made a clean slice across the shoulders of one soldier before whipping around and slashing the other man behind her across his chest. She could not waste energy here, not with just lowly footsoldiers, she had to find _that man_.

As fate would have it, as she continued to attack the enemy, she finally found herself face to face with her desired topic. "_You_," she snarled, every fibre in her being screaming for her to kill him, maim him, make him _pay_.

"Li Hui Zhong," he acknowledged simply. "You have foiled over four years worth of planning between your General and I."

"Soo-Jin is _not_ my General," Li-Hua countered. The only Fire Tribe leader she would ever acknowledge was Kyo-Ga. It seemed as if the man understood this, for an amused glint appeared in his eyes.

"Such a coincidence that we share the same name," Li Hazara mused, looking unnaturally undeterred by all the bloodshed going around him. Li-Hua felt her grip on her swords tighten as she absentmindedly stabbed the person trying to sneak up on her from behind, only focused on the man in front of her. "Li Hui Zhong, the great berserker. I have heard of you: it was said that when you were outnumbered five to one you still managed to win, killing off all the soldiers and leaving a bloody trail in your wake, yet at the same time I've also heard that you massacred several of your own soldiers in your rage. Looking at this scene here, I can probably conclude that is true."

"I _have_ killed some of my men before," Li-Hua acknowledged, not allowing her voice to waver. _You must stay strong. _"That was a mistake, a miscalculation on my part, and all I can say is that I am glad I was given the chance to repent for that grave sin. I promised that I would never be induced into such a state again: it was too dangerous for my comrades. However…" Her golden eyes were nothing below furious as she met his amused ones. "I made an exception for you."

The man laughed. "What, are you still sore on the fact that Soo-Jin sent you to me for some..._rehabilitation?_ Are you going to kill him too?"

"He sent me to _die_ by your hands," she corrected mindfully. "And I simply follow orders. Lord Kyo-Ga has asked for me to stop Soo-Jin, and if I can stop him without killing him, I will do so."

"The same loyal guard dog as ever, I presume," the man mused. "If only I had met you before he had. Perhaps then you might have been on a different side during this battle."

"I was born in Kouka, and will stay loyal to it," Li-Hua countered. Her eyes narrowed as she raised her sword towards him. "Now, enough talk. Let us finish this."  
"Indeed. There can't be two 'Li's, after all," Li Hazara said simply as he drew his sword.

Li-Hua knew she had to be cautious. Li Hazara was the leader of the Sen Province for a reason, and she had already spent a lot of energy thinning out his ranks. She wasn't sure about her overall mental health at the moment, but the anger that had surfaced from Ryu's death had not subsided, and that feeling overpowered any kind of rational thought as she rushed towards him.

_Always make the first move._

He easily blocked her attack, instead countering with a swipe of his own as Li-Hua leaned back, his sword only managing to graze her cheek instead of its original intent to lop off her head. She spat, tasting the metallic taste of her own blood as both of them tensed, before they began attacking.

She swiped at him, and the attack was easily dodged, but before he could counter she ducked under his strike and attempted to stab him in the abdomen, but instead her strike was countered with one of his own as she flew back, grunting as she rolled and got to her knees just in time to lift her swords and stop him from attacking her head.

His sword clashed against hers, and it was a battle of strengths for a moment that Li-Hua knew she couldn't win. Quickly, she dropped her swords, causing the man to fall forward as he did not expect for her to stop attacking. Li-Hua lifted her leg and kicked the sword out of his hand, and he fell on top of her, pinning her on the ground.

"Damn you," he growled as he attempted to reach for his sword, but she dropped her swords and Li-Hua's arms reached out and pulled him back on top of her, and with a strength she didn't know she possessed Li-Hua rolled them around, resulting in her hands pinning down Li Hazara. Both of their swords were off a few feet away, and there was no way for Li-Hua to get hers without letting go of Li Hazara, and she knew the moment she'd let go he'd deliver a solid blow to her face that she couldn't dodge.

They were at a stalemate.

The man must have realized this too, for her simply smirked.

This action made her fly into a rage, and not exactly thinking straight, her hands let go of his hands and instead wrapped around his neck, squeezing and attempting to choke him. However, in a bout of physical strength, Li Hazara was obviously the stronger one, and he similarly mirrored her action and clutched at her throat.

There was a brief, exhilarating moment when she couldn't breathe, and although she wanted to struggle and scream she instead tightened her grip on his neck. But despite her effort, she could feel her arms weakening as she struggled to gasp for air. Slowly, her arms dropped from his neck as Li Hazara smirked, letting her body drop limply to the ground.

"A nice try," he said as he retrieved his sword, musing idly as his face loomed over hers. "Where should I cut first? Your exquisite eyes? Or perhaps your lips, so you can finally shut up?"

Li-Hua felt her consciousness subsiding, but she _refused to let that man win_, and with the last of her energy her hand grabbed her hairpin she had fastened to her hair again and used the sharp edge to stab Li Hazara in the throat. The man was caught off guard, obviously thinking that his opponent was fully disarmed, and with one last glance of hatred but subtle appreciation that only true swordsmen could have for one another, Li Hazara fell.

She was breathing heavily, still struggling for air, but she felt a crazed laughter bubble from her throat, shakily getting to her knees for a moment before she fell over, her hands shaking on the ground and propping her upwards. There was a searing pain coming from her shoulders, and glancing at the spot, she realized that it was bleeding profusely. She had been stabbed in the shoulder by a soldier during her battle to Li Hazara, but she probably hadn't noticed the pain in her rage until after the anger had subsided.

Observing her body, Li-Hua realized that it was littered in all sorts of cuts and bruises that she had not noticed. In particular, there was a blow to her leg that had literally painted her entire leg red. Oh, well then. She was probably going to die, maybe of blood loss. At least she had done her duty.

That morbid thought almost made her chuckle as she began slipping into a state of unconsciousness, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Eun being cornered by a soldier, his sword knocked out of his hand and the soldier about to lower his sword. He was crouching on the ground, but he was still looking at his death straight in the eye and even though there was a slight surge of pride that manifested in her, desperation overpowered that feeling. Pushing herself up to her feet, she felt a surge of dizziness overtake her, but she refused to let Eun die. She couldn't let any more men die on her. She just needed a little more time…

The pain from standing up was almost enough for her to black-out, and Li-Hua was lucky enough that no soldiers had taken advantage of her weakened state to kill her yet. Her eyes transfixed on the scene of Eun and the soldier, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to move, _move damn it._

Li-Hua stumbled between the two men, just in time for the sword's final blow. She felt a searing sensation in her gut and as she glanced down she realized somewhat dazedly, _oh, there's a sword in my side._

She heard several terrified, worried cries, but already her consciousness was slipping away as she coughed blood, red blood...she felt herself slipping the ground and could hear muffled cries ("_Li! Li, please stay with me!")_. Thank Hiryuu, Eun was still safe, she thought as she glanced down to meet the man's frightened amethyst eyes.

In the last moment of her consciousness she thought she saw white (white, on this battlefield stained with red...how interesting) and heard a gentle, but urgent voice calling her real name. "_Li-Hua."_

* * *

**A/N: Erm. Yeah.**

**Sorry for killing off Ryu. I felt as if it had to be done for Li-Hua to have more character development and there will be a lot more contemplation in the chapters to come about this. Also, feel free to guess the person at the end. It's pretty obvious. Bonus points if you can find the hints here and there about Li-Hua's past when in the Kai Empire (the flashback revealed everything) and her being a berserker.**

**Now listen here. I genuinely, truly, do appreciate every single thing you guys do for me. I read the reviews. I notice the number of followers and favorite-ers. So even though it sounds like I'm repeating myself; thank you, thank you so much. Although part of the reason I write is for myself, my own enjoyment, and the growth of my writing: the major thing that keeps me writing is because of how kind all of you are.**

**On another note, this story's anniversary is coming up, so I was thinking of writing (yet another) side story, this time a modern AU. Cause AU's are cool.**

**So...um, honestly this chapter turned out _waaaaay_ better in my head, but that's that. :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: A suggestion to listen to "Dear Childhood Friend" from hmix dot net while reading this. You can also search for it on YouTube. Also recommended is "Moment" from the same website.**

* * *

"_God, you won again?" Ryu groaned as he rubbed the back of his next sorely, nursing both his injured pride and the small cut that had resulted from his duel against his friend. "So unfair. I call cheats."_

"_It's called skills," Li corrected, and although her tone sounded serious, there was a small grin that had snaked on her face as she offered a hand to the soldier that was lying on the ground. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she added thoughtfully, "Although...you did put up a fair fight."_

"_Tch. Watch me, next time I'm going to win," Ryu replied, emphasizing the word 'win' and posing dramatically with his hands in the air as the girl chuckled, shaking her head ruefully and ruffling the man's ginger hair. She put a hand to her hip as she raised her eyebrows challengingly._

"_You can try." The slightly cocky statement left her mouth before she could stop it, and this made Ryu go into another round of sulking while Eun simply shook his head at the two exasperatedly, glancing at Chung-Hee. The group of four friends had decided to do some extra training every night if they had the opportunity, and although Ryu was the one who suggested it, Eun had a sneaky feeling that it was actually Li who was behind the nightly training sessions._

"_They're hopeless," Eun murmured, watching the two laugh at some joke that Ryu had cracked. The boy began making various lame looking poses that had Li rolling her eyes in both exasperation and amusement. Despite that, the two were both staring into each other's eyes with clear mirth._

"_It's been a long time since we've laughed this much, though," Chung-Hee replied, his eyes fond as he watched the two. "The atmosphere's a lot calmer whenever Li is around. I...I like it. She may not be telling us all of the truth, but I think we can trust her."_

_Eun knew that Chung-Hee was just as aware and sharp as he was at times, but the man usually kept silent so as to not break the peaceful atmosphere. Chung-Hee was always like that: putting others before himself._

_Eun stood still for a moment, watching Li lightly smack Ryu on the shoulder for something he said, before he replied softly, "I think so too."_

"_Hey, what are you two lazy bums doing? Get over here and spar," Ryu called over his shoulder, wrestling with Li over the spear that Li had stolen during the match._

_A small, but genuine smile spread across Eun's face as he closed his eyes for a moment, simply taking in the moment and relishing in it, trying to engrave the memory into the very depths of his soul. Eun knew that things wouldn't always remain this way, but it couldn't hurt to enjoy the moment. He opened his eyes, and while nudging Chung-Hee, took a step forward, rolling hsi eyes as he replied, "Coming, coming."_

* * *

Today Eun mourned the loss of many of his dearest friends. It was exactly a week after the battle that had turned the tides of the Kai invasion, and the bodies were still being counted. He had been lucky enough to escape the battle with only a scar above his forehead, but many of his comrades were not as lucky.

He glanced over to the side, at the still woman lying on the bed. Li…no, Li Hui Zhong, had been injured severely in several different areas around her body. Had it not been for the intervention of Emperor Soo-Won, who he repeatedly noted stopped by to visit the sleeping woman in the brief moments in which he wasn't in a meeting with aristocrats of the Fire Tribe and his counselors, she would have died.

She would have died, saving _him_.

Eun had been suspecting that 'Li' was out of the ordinary for some time. When Ryu (_he's dead now, he's not coming back…_) had brought Li to him and Chung-Hee for the first time he had noticed there had been something off about the woman, whether it be her wary golden eyes or her confident posture. His suspicion had only grown as the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Li had been unnaturally adept in their training as soldiers, easily beating the best swordsman they had in training despite her gender.

Ryu had said that she was masquerading as a man because she wanted to meet Kyo-Ga. Eun had initially assumed that she was one of the many love struck girls who were stupid enough to believe that if they pulled such a stunt they could gain the lord's affections. However, as he grew to learn more about Li, he had concluded that couldn't be farther from the truth. True, there was a fond look in her eyes whenever she spoke of Lord Kyo-Ga, but the look was not of love.

It was of two things: admiration, and undeniable respect.

That was the moment when Eun had decided that he could trust Li. He had accepted the fact that there were things she was not telling them, and that Ryu was aware of some of those secrets and was keeping them from him, but he ultimately knew that Li would be of no harm to their tribe.

Now, after Ryu's death and Li's hospitalization, he was finally learning answers.

She was Li Hui Zhong. The commander who had taken the lowliest of soldiers and transformed them into an unstoppably loyal, powerful force. The commander who didn't leave a single man behind if it was up to her. The commander who was fiercely loyal to her country. The commander who, while outnumbered, pushed back the enemy.

But those were just the good things about her. He had heard the rumors, of Li Hui Zhong killing her own men once. She had been in a rage, they had said. And after, she had vowed not to do so again, and instead began intensifying her efforts with being Kyo-Ga's bodyguard. Li Hui Zhong was something to be feared, as well as respected.

But Li was his friend, and that came first.

That was the reason that Eun was still by her side, tending to the sleeping woman. Emperor Soo-Won had ordered for the best of medics to come to the Fire Tribe, and thanks to their efforts the woman had not died of blood loss. However, Li had been asleep for the past week, not waking once. The rumor mill was already gossiping about how she had died valiantly while defeating Li Hazara, and although that was half true, Eun had been quick to disperse such rumors. Emperor Soo-Won's threatening glare at the gossiping servants may have helped as well.

"Oh, Eun. Good morning."

Eun turned to the source of the voice and smiled. "Ah, Emperor Soo-Won, I was just thinking about you. Such a coincidence."

"A dedicated friend as ever, I see," Soo-Won said lightly, although there was a slight tense air about him as his hands lightly brushed over Li's hand protectively before he pulled back, realizing what he was doing. "How did you two meet?" Although the question was asked in a friendly tone, there was some kind of glint in the Emperor's eyes that reminded Eun of Li's: some kind of glint of intelligence that betrayed their easygoing mask.

"It's a bit of a long story, Emperor," Eun said reluctantly, but Soo-Won gave him a dismissive gesture.

"I have some free time today. Please, do go ahead and tell me your story," Soo-Won said, using his hand to motion for Eun to sit down. He crossed his legs, giving Eun a kind, gentle smile that personally sent shivers down Eun's spine. Whoever said the new Emperor was an idiot deserved a kick in the shin. Soo-Won was _terrifying_ at times, and Eun tried to push out the memory of his absolutely furious face after discovering how hurt Li was.

Eun was not a fool. He had heard the rumors, of Li Hui Zhong and the nephew of the ex-Emperor Il. Although he wasn't stupid enough to accept all of the rumors as true, he knew that the two shared a special kind of relationship that had bore fruit from many years together. "In the Fire Tribe, leaving the army is punishable by death. I was assigned a room with three other soldiers: Chung-Hee, Li, and...Ryu. It happened that my former roommate Ryu and Li were assigned border patrol one day, with Ryu in charge of making sure Li didn't run off. Li had fallen in love with a prostitute, and after a long night of drinking he slipped away from Ryu's watch."

Eun shifted uncomfortably under the Emperor's gaze, but continued, "Ryu used to be under the command of Li Hui Zhong, and from what I gathered, the two had met during Ryu's border patrol and had struck a deal. She would masquerade as our missing roommate, so that she would get close to Lord Kyo-Ga. Looking back at it, we were pretty lucky nobody questioned us, but Li had always been a quiet person anyways, so not many really got a feel of his personality nor stature."

"That sounds like something she would do," Soo-Won mused.

"Ryu brought her to us the next day. We were suspicious, of course, but ultimately decided that we could trust her. Months went by, and I do not believe myself pretentious to assume that we had grown to become close friends, although Ryu was obviously the closest to her having known her identity." Eun paused, wondering if that was enough explanation for the growth of their group's relationship. _Months went by_ barely cut it.

They all had sweated, fought, and laughed together. They had shared the same dinner table for months. They had even comforted Li the few times when they caught her trapped in a nightmare (Ryu had been the one to discover that she frequently went out at night to not disturb them with her screaming). She had helped them all with her skills, and in return they gave the best ways to stay under the radar from the instructors.

"_Hey, idiot, do you really think we'd just let you do this on your own? We're here for a reason, and that's so you can rely on us every once in awhile."_

"_You're a kind person, Eun. I wish...I really do wish that this moment could last forever."_

"_Let's just believe in ourselves! When all this soldier business and war hype dies down, Chung-Hee owes us all lunch at the restaurant next door. I wanna try that new dish they were advertising, plus it'd be fun to eat with all of us. Wouldn't that be cool?"_

"_No matter what we'll definitely always be-"_

Eun knew that obsessing over old times was unhealthy, but he couldn't help it. Every moment he closed his eyes he could hear their laughter, see their smiles. He was an orphan, who nobody gave the time of the day. Years of being ignored had shaped him into who he was, yet those three….those three had been his first...

"_-friends."_

Li was the one who, at the end of the day, would toss a bottle of water to each of them and offer them a grin and some kind of encouragement. Ryu was the one who'd throw his arms around her in mock admiration, dramatically declaring his love for her for giving them water after training in the heat for so many hours. Eun was the person who'd scold Ryu for being so loud, but his tirade would always be cut off by Chung-Hee's slightly amused look and slight pat on the shoulders.

That was their routine, as friends.

Eun suddenly realized that routine would probably never happen again. Ryu was dead. Chung-Hee was wounded severely, and the doctors said he would never be able to walk again, and Eun knew it was just a matter of time before he was discharged for the army and would go to find his childhood friend who was waiting for him. Li was actually Li Hui Zhong, and would probably resume whatever travelling or bantering she had with her higher up friends now that she had done her duty to the Fire tribe. And Eun...Eun was being left behind.

Soo-Won, master conversationalist as he was, must have sensed his distress, for the man hummed thoughtfully as he turned to Eun. "Actually, Eun, although I came here mainly for Li-Hua, there was another reason. I've talked to some of my advisors, and I'd like it if you would join me, as part of my Royal Guard and as a friend."

Eun was slightly taken aback. "A...a friend? With all due respect, your Majesty, we have only meet a week ago, and have only been united by unfortunate circumstances."

"True," Soo-Won allowed, however his eyes flickered over to Li's prone body. His voice was slightly softer as he said in a lower voice, "But any friend of hers is a friend of mine. Li-Hua is not someone to give away her trust or friendship, and if she was ready to take a sword in the gut for you, it must be for good reason."

Soo-Won must have still seen some kind of reluctance in Eun's face, for he elaborated, "I've also talked to one of your former companions, Chung-Hee, about this offer. He thinks it would be good for you. That man is a truly kind person, and had it not been for his handicap, I would have taken him in as well." The Emperor's gaze stayed firmly on Eun's face. "Both of you are good people, Eun. And I need those kind of people on my side."

Eun couldn't help it. A small smile quirked on his lips. "I can see why you and Li might be friends. You two are very alike."

For once, it was Soo-Won who looked slightly off guard instead of Eun. "Alike?' Soo-Won asked, baffled. A bitter smile slid over his lips as he shook his head ruefully. "We aren't alike at all. She fights to protect those closest to her, only bringing damage to herself. I, on the other hand, will sacrifice my closer ones for the good of the country I fight to protect."

"In every battle there will be death," Eun said softly, recalling what Ryu had told him once before, even before Li had come into their lives. "What distinguishes the strong from the weak is the ability to realize this, and move past it. I believe that both Miss Li and you, Emperor Soo-Won, share an unwavering will and desire to achieve your goals, and that in itself is admirable. If the honorable Emperor will have it, I would be honored to join the Royal Guard."

Soo-Won was silent for a moment before a playful glint appeared in his eyes, replacing the once calculative glint they had. "I'm glad to have someone like you with me, Eun," he said finally, and in that moment Eun seemed to see the same thing that Li must have seen in this Emperor. Despite how calculative he was, despite how intelligent and handsome and _aware_ he was of the world, Soo-Won was still one person. He was still just one teenager, even younger than Eun. And one person couldn't shoulder the burden of an entire burden on his shoulders.

_Is this what you saw, Li? Is this why you strove to help them all? Kyo-Ga, Soo-Won…_

Both of the men froze as they heard a groan, and quickly Eun's head whipped around to where Li laid. The woman moaned again as she slowly opened her eyes, which still did not look fully awake as they had yet to retain her usual sharp glint of awareness. Soo-Won had moved quickly to the bedside, asking urgently, "Li-Hua? Can you hear me?"

The woman seemed to take a moment to stare into his blue eyes before she murmured, "Soo-Won?"

Eun realized that he was not needed, and made a move to stand up and leave. That movement must have caught Li's attention, however, and as her gaze met Eun's a wave of relief seemed to wash over her. "Eun...you're safe?" It seemed as if her mind was clearing as she quickly tensed, trying to sit up. "How is Chung-Hee? Seung? Is the battle over?"

"Seung is alright," Eun spoke softly. The man had frequently come to visit Li as well, although he never stayed long, only leaving with a pained smile and half hearted goodbye. "Chung-Hee...well, Chung-Hee will be released from the army soon." He watched as his friend's face seemed to take in the information, processing it as her moods quickly changed. Li had always been smart, and it was not that hard for her to put the pieces together. The army never released their young and able soldiers.

Another weight seemed to fall on her shoulders as she bowed her head, simply saying quietly, "I see…"

There was a deep, permeating silence that left Eun fairly uncomfortable.

"I'll go get you some water and alert the doctors that you're awake," Eun excused himself as he gave a half friendly smile towards the Emperor, who returned the acknowledgment with a nod. "I...we missed you, Li," he admitted quickly before rushing out of the door, blushing all the way to his ears. If there were a few tears in his eyes, he definitely did not acknowledge them. Not at all.

* * *

Li-Hua's ears were ringing. She supposed she should have acknowledged Soo-Won, not just because he saved her (from what she could gather), but as a friend. However, at the moment she was buried beneath waves of grief. Every passing moment, she could feel the weight of all of the soldiers who had died because of her decisions, all the soldiers that died from her hands, all her friends who had trusted her and received nothing but pain in return…

"Damn it," she cursed, not even noticing how the phrase slipped out. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out the sound of screams, blaming her for their deaths. Her nightmares had been too real, almost too vivid to be completely fake. Her hands trembled slightly as inwardly she scolded herself. _Get it together. You can't afford to be weak right now, not when it looks like you staged a revolt. You're in a foreign situation and you-_

"Li-Hua," Soo-Won said again, softer this time. His eyes reflected a myriad of emotions as he simply sighed, leaning back in his chair. Both of them knew the other person well enough to read their actions and smallest movements, and so she knew that he could tell what she was feeling at the moment. He chose his words carefully, "You almost died, you know."

"I'm sorry, Soo-Won," she murmured, knowing that the man understood the weights that she felt on her shoulders. However, Li-Hua wasn't sure if she wanted to speak about all of that yet, although she knew that Soo-Won would listen to her whenever she felt ready. "I understand that it must have been...troublesome to explain things to your advisers."

"I do what I must for my friends, Li-Hua," Soo-Won said firmly, and for a second Li-Hua could see a flash of the old Soo-Won that he had left behind on Yona's sixteenth birthday before it was covered up by a mask carefully crafted and shaped by politics. "There will be a hearing, very soon. You will be one of the key witnesses. I apologize, but accusing a General of treason, despite the overwhelming evidence, is quite a large feat that Lord Kyo-Ga has done, and although I tried to reason with them to give you more time…"

"Thank you," Li-Hua said, pausing for a moment to recollect her thoughts. "But I'm good."

The pause that followed was about the most awkward moment Li-Hua had ever experienced with Soo-Won. The only other moment that might have measured up to the awkwardness of that moment was the time when Li-Hua had masqueraded as Soo-Won's nonexistent fiance (she would _never_ do that again, sweets and other bribes be damned) and his father had questioned the authenticity of the relationship, resulting in an awkward hug between the two longtime friends.

"Li-Hua," Soo-Won started mournfully, but she shook her head furiously.

"I don't need pity Soo-Won. You know that. I did what I had to, and if a few people died along the way for my goals...that's something I have already accepted. I will protect this country, " she said feverently, but even as she spoke Li-Hua felt her throat tightening as the image of _red_ flashed through her mind.

"And your loved ones? Li-Hua, you were the one who told me that the thing you valued the most was the people you are close to. You don't...you don't need to…" Soo-Won trailed off, seemingly struggling with the appropriate words to say. After a few moments of contemplative silence, he suddenly moved forward, pulling Li-Hua's head to his chest. The whoosh of air from the motion left her slightly breathless as he said in a low voice, "Don't pretend. Not now, not around me."

The things their relationship was centered around was not only trust, but truth. They not only trusted each other nearly unconditionally, but they didn't have to put up pretenses. Li-Hua blinked rapidly a few times, feeling moisture form in her eyes as she was pressed against Soo-Won. Her smile wobbled, just a bit, but when Soo-Won put his hand on her head and muttered, "It's sympathy, not pity, silly," she couldn't help but grasp on to his new white robe and sob, facade unmasked.

"Damn it...damn it...damn it!" Her voice broke slightly. "He's dead...and I just stood there and watched it happen. He's dead, and he's not coming back, and he was the one who trusted me...he trusted me…"

"I failed them," she whispered, the tears running silently down her cheeks. Soo-Won, silent but understanding ("_I killed him…I killed my Uncle…"_) as he put an arm around her, his white sleeve shielding her tears from the world. Her grip on his robe tightened, her hands turning almost white from the pressure. She repeated again, this time quieter, "I failed them…"

Soo-Won, not caring about the tears that dampened his robe, tried not to look at the parallels between him and this broken woman (his broken _friend_). Lowering his head, he allowed himself for this brief respite from acting as Emperor. Just for a little.

He found himself recalling something he had not thought of for a long time, mainly because he tried to avoid memories containing _them_, the friends that he had pushed away for the sake of Kouka and his goals.

("_I wish we'd never have to grow up, Hak!" "All of us have to, Princess…"_)

He closed his eyes, trying to drown out the rest of that conversation, but he could clearly hear childish laughter in his mind. He could vividly recall the feeling of grass underneath his feet, and the sight of a clear sky. He could _see _them all, young, pure, untainted. Crimson, red hair flowing down her shoulders as she threw her hands up into the sky joyfully…

("_Well, then, let's make a promise! When we grow up, the four of us will always be friends. No matter how old we get."_)

* * *

**A/N: Annnnnd that's a wrap.**

**This chapter deals a lot with angsty guilt. Despite how 'strong' anyone might act, they all have their breaking points, and similarly, Li-Hua only can handle so much by herself. Also, Eun didn't die. :D (Well, Ryu did, but uhhhhhh yeah. I loved him the most... :( )  
**

**So, in case it wasn't spotted, next chapter will be showing a little change in canon. There'll be a trial, as Kyo-Ga accused his father of treason, and since his father's a General there's going to be some fun political stuff going on. Plus, Soo-Won is going to have a lot of screen time hopefully lol. **

**Lots of angst! :)**

**I LOVE YOU PEOPLE. So, so hard. So thank you very much for all of your support. :) (Just a note, the requesting for specific scenes is still open. Also, the one year anniversary for this story is coming up so expect a pretty long special. I probably won't update any other regular chapters this month and focus on that special lol. It's a modern AU/MMO/dating sim thing. Feel free to speculate on what's going to go on.)**

**Anyways, again, thanks for all your support. Until next time!**


	19. Chapter 19: Anniversary

**A/N: In all honesty, this was _a pain_ and _so much fun_ to write at the same time. Enjoy the cliches, the deadpan moments, the sparkles, etc.**

**It's mainly crack. Don't take it too seriously lol.**

**Actual word count: 5441**

* * *

"You're telling me that I, Li-Hua, have just gotten trapped in a Virtual Reality MMO _dating sim_ that's still in its beta phase with a bunch of my stupid guy friends just because of an equally stupid dare that an idiot gave me?"

"Sorry Li-Hua, we're working on it," Yoon's voice came over the receiver apologetically. "I think there's some kind of bug in the system, and we're working on it now. Also, it's not a dating sim, just a romance-based MMO. Look on the bright side: you're in a game with attractive boys that almost rival my pretty boy looks."

Li-Hua threw her hands up into the air. "I give up," she moaned, putting her face in her hands as she crouched down on the ground. "It's _Yona_ who has a harem, not me."

Over the receiver, Yona's indignant yelp was quickly overpowered by something that sounded suspiciously like Hak's snickers. The black haired jock's voice quickly took over the receiver as he said sympathetically, "Tough luck. You'll have to deal with Droopy Eyes and all the rest of the idiots for however long it takes for us to fix this. If it makes you feel better, we'll make sure your body doesn't get molested while you're in the game."

"Kill me now," Li-Hua muttered. "Put me out of my misery."

"Hey, I put a lot of work into this game," Yoon protested. His voice changed into a more pleading tone. "Can you just continue the deal and beta it? It won't be that bad, just a few shoujo-ish cliches every now and then."

"I am _not_ going to be falling into the arms of some random hot guy who I instantly fall in love with," Li-Hua growled. This time, there was no response except for the beep of a cut off receiver. Fun. They'd left her on her own, and were probably giggling at her misery as they watched her on Yoon's laptop. She glanced upwards to where her name was floating above her, along with a pink colored meter that Yoon had explained was a 'love meter' that as she gained more 'experience' would make her 'level up' and achieve better looks and be able to access more options.

A screen popped up in front of her, and she read the glowing words carefully. "Quest 1: First Day of School. You are the new transfer student! Go to Fuuga High School. Your uniform is included in the starter equipment. Good luck, and woo some bishies."

She stared deadpan at the screen for a few seconds before waving her hand and dismissing it. Swiping her hand in the air, similarly to the newly popular anime Sickle Art Online, the menu appeared in front of her, and she quickly equipped the school uniform (the skirt, to her discomfort, was a tad bit too short for her liking) and made her way to school, miraculously making it there in a matter of minutes despite not knowing the layout of the city. Convenient autowalking.

"Why _hello_ there, Li~ Fancy seeing you here so soon," Jae-Ha's cheerful voice grew louder as he bounded over to her, slipping a hand over her shoulders before she could move out of the way. She casted him an annoyed look.

"Jae-Ha, we're supposed to keep our real life identities out of the game." She deadpanned.

"Well, whatever. Too late now~ My quest is 'lead the transfer student', and I'm assuming that's you?" Jae-Ha asked, and to her reluctance Li-Hua gave a small nod and inwardly groaned. She was _so_ going to kill Ryu when everything was over: he was the one who had egged her into beta-ing Yoon's game in the first place.

"Even though I don't read shoujo manga that often, I just _know_ something's going to happen," Li-Hua muttered, ever genre-savvy as Jae-Ha laughed, his green eyes sparkling with amusement as he held out his hand, a silent invitation in his eyes. _Shall we go?_ To Li-Hua's utmost reluctance, she took it and allowed for the green haired man to show her around the campus.

"Apparently there's another transfer student arriving today too, although I heard that Ryu would be guiding her," Jae-Ha said carefully. The mention of the ginger made Li-Hua's eyes darken (_how dare that imbecile use reverse psychology on her just so she could join this stupid game!_). They turned the corner to where her classroom awaited.

At that moment, her trained instincts as a martial artist seemed to fail her (_curse you Yoon I will see to it that you never see the light of day again_—) and Li-Hua unceremoniously ran into someone at full force, causing both of the people involved in the collision to fall to the ground. She groaned, rubbing her sore forehead and still cursing the game to the Heavens as she mumbled, "Sorry."

"It's alright. Are you okay?"

Li-Hua stiffened at the voice and immediately recognized the person sprawled out on the floor across from her. It was Soo-Won, her long time childhood friend who had gone along with Ryu's dare for them to beta Yoon's game just because she was forced into it ("You'll go insane if you just have them for company"). "Soo…" she started, but the teenager put a finger to his lips which were curled upwards in a half smirk.

It was a reminder of what they were in at the moment, and Li-Hua quickly stood up and offered a hand to help Soo-Won to his feet. "I'm Li Hui Zhong, the new transfer student," she introduced quickly. "And your name?"

"Soo-Won." The man looked clearly amused, although he played along with what Yoon wanted. They were, after all, supposed to be testing out the game to see if normal, ordinary people who had never met each other would be able to establish bonds with one another. "I'm the Head of the Student Body. A pleasure to meet you, miss Zhong."

"Just call me Li-Hua," she corrected automatically. Only Kyo-Ga, her next door neighbor who she was fiercely protective of, really called her Zhong. When Li-Hua was younger, her family had died in a fire, and Kyo-Ga's family practically adopted her, and although her name was nice enough, it felt foreign when coming from Soo-Won's lips.

"As you wish, Li-Hua," Soo-Won said, but before they could continue their conversation, Jae-Ha butted in, looking a bit annoyed.

"Anyways, Li and I here have to go to our classroom. Don't want her making a bad impression on the first day, right?" Jae-Ha asked cheerfully, his grip on her shoulder tightening a bit. Li-Hua blinked as she found herself pressed against Jae-Ha's chest protectively, and she twitched for a moment and resisted the urge to kick the man in a place that most men didn't appreciate being kicked at.

_For Yoon,_ her mind chanted. _Don't lose any more romance XP points then you have to, or Ryu will laugh at you later._

Li-Hua had barely a moment to resist before she found herself being pulled from one male's chest to the other as Soo-Won smiled at Jae-Ha, holding onto Li-Hua's other arm. "Well, as the Head of the Student Body, I can take over your duty from here. Nice work, Jae-Ha, but I think that Li-Hua would prefer my company over yours."

Li-Hua twitched as she heard a _ping_ sound, signalling that she had unlocked an achievement. Swiping open the menu, her scowl deepened as she read the achievement.

_Achievement Unlocked: First Love Triangle~_

Yoon, this is _not_ a love triangle," Li-Hua hissed under her breath. Sadly, the self proclaimed pretty boy genius didn't respond and she was left with only Jae-Ha and Soo-Won for company.

"Well, I wouldn't mind it being one," Jae-Ha said flirtatiously as Li-Hua sent him an unappreciative look.

Dear Hiryuu, let the ground swallow her whole now.

* * *

_Achievement Unlocked: Be late on the first day of school!_

_Achievement Unlocked: Sit next to the window, like a true cliche anime character._

_Achievement Unlocked: Sit behind a potential love interest!_

Li-Hua was not amused as she stared at the head of a certain flirtatious green haired man. Not to mention the fact that the sound of her unlocking achievements seemed to be popping up every five minutes (there was one about sitting down in her desk and falling to the ground after someone pulled it, and then Li-Hua just _knew_ that Hak was doing something and messing with her). She growled as she sat through lessons that weren't even real lessons.

Luckily, Yoon (or whoever else was managing the game at the moment) had the sense to fastforward through class, or Li-Hua would have died of boredom as well as mortification. Soon enough, it was lunchtime.

Oh, joy.

Her lack of enthusiasm was noted by Jae-Ha, who pouted and pulled her along, saying she could sit with him and his friends. She was led to a table with several familiar faces: Soo-Won, Eun, Kija, and Zeno. Eun gave her a small smile in greetings, but was currently involved in scolding Zeno about dining etiquette. Soo-Won and Kija were involved in some kind of discussion, but both of them stopped and gave their greetings to Jae-Ha and Li-Hua (the boys' greetings to Jae-Ha, however, were considerably less friendly). Just that moment, however, Li-Hua was tackled to the ground by someone.

"Li!" Ryu wailed, clinging on to her. "Save me! I can't take it any longer!"

"R-Ryu!" She sputtered, attempting to pull him off her. Although she should have begun beating him up for convincing her to try the game, at the moment she was too baffled to even process what was going on. She took in the sight of the ginger haired boy wailing on the floor and messing up her school uniform with slight skepticism and slight confusion. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Save me," he continued to wail, before he was pulled off her by a slightly amused and half annoyed Jae-Ha.

"What's going on?" Jae-Ha asked, but before Ryu could respond a _very_ high pitched, feminine squeal resounded from behind them. Li-Hua had barely a moment to register a pink blur before Jae-Ha was knocked to the floor by some random girl. The girl had luscious, wavy pink hair that had purple dyed tips at the ends. Admittedly, she was extremely curvaceous, and her school uniform (which seemed modified to some punk goth style that should have definitely resulted in her getting dress coded) definitely didn't hide her curves.

The girl looked up to meet Li-Hua's eyes, and she noted that the girl's eyes were a brilliant shade of aquamarine, although the shade seemed to be shifting every few seconds. Inwardly, Li-Hua groaned: she had a _very_ bad feeling about this girl, and hopefully her fangirl senses that had been honed by multiple shoujo manga and romance novels were wrong, but at that moment Li-Hua heard a _ping._

She glanced up apprehensively, and her eyes slid along the achievement.

_Achievement Unlocked: Meet your Rival!_

"Shit," the curse slipped out of Li-Hua's mouth as she slowly backed away, leaving Jae-Ha and Ryu to their untimely demise. She hid behind an indignant Kija, who simply yelped and attempted to hide himself from the bold pink haired female. There was _no way in hell_ she was going to talk to that...pink...makeup abnormality and somehow save Jae-Ha from his doom. Nope. She'd find another table to sit at. But before Li-Hua could make her timely escape, the girl began talking.

"Ohmygosh," the girl squealed, clinging on to Jae-Ha even tighter. "You are _so _cute."

"Thank you," Jae-Ha said smoothly after a moment's pause, ever the lady charmer as the girl visibly _swooned_ before clearing her throat and pushing herself off him, muttering something like 'n-not like I really think that or anything'. Li-Hua was trying to gauge the girl's personality, but it was honestly hard to tell when she swung from a squealing fangirl to a blushing tsundere in a moment's notice.

Oh. Shoot.

Mood swings? Colorful hair? Color changing eyes?

Li-Hua finally recognized the hints and glared at the sky. "Really?"

"And you are?" The girl asked, turning around to look at Li-Hua. There was a brilliant smile on her face, and Li-Hua supposed she had to at least attempt to be nice to the girl and inwardly squashed the urge to wrinkle her nose in disgust at the various aromas that seemed to be radiating from the girl. She stepped out from behind Kija (the white haired man let out a sigh of relief) and held out her hand.

"Li Hui Zhong," she introduced, attempting a weak smile as Jae-Ha snickered from behind the girl. "And you are?"

The girl took her hand and vigorously shook it. "Raven Angel Lily Star Sakura Mary Denera Sue. But for short, call me 'Mary D. Sue'." The girl beamed, looking as if she had just won the lottery. Her teeth radiantly shone a pearly white, emphasizing her plump pink lips.

Li-Hua, on the other hand, was ready to bang her head against the table.

"Nice to meet you!" The girl grinned, full of energy before her cheeks turned a shade of pink. "B-but it's not like I need to have any girl friends anyways…"

_Stay calm, she isn't your rival, she doesn't have to be_, Li-Hua chanted in her mind as she returned the smile. "I don't have many female friends, so it'd be nice to be friends with you, Mary," she said politely, and the girl turned an even darker shade of pink.

"Oh, stop it!" Mary wailed as she playfully knocked Li-Hua on the shoulder, causing the raven haired girl to go flying into the wall, quite literally. Li-Hua coughed a few times, trying to access her condition, but there was too much dust and pain for her to discern what was going on. All kinds of plaster and other materials were falling around her, and she could faintly register that her friends looked half horrified and half amused. Mary gasped, looking horrified that she had hurt her friend, and ran away from the lunch room while wailing something about she'd kill herself for hurting her precious people. Ryu, although reluctantly, sighed and stood up, muttering something about how he hadn't expected that going into a romance-based MMO meant that he had to babysit a Mary-Sue. He glanced at where Li-Hua flew off to and shrugged. Eh, she'd be fine. He was more worried about himself...Ryu shuddered.

"Li-Hua, are you alright?" Soo-Won asked worriedly, pulling her out of the rubble as the girl gave a nod of assent. Strangely enough, it didn't seem as if she had many injuries despite being sent flying into a wall, which she chalked down to the fact that they were in a video game where months of recuperation wouldn't be very romantic.

"I think I twisted my ankle, although frankly I don't know how _that_ could happen, but knowing Yoon…" Li-Hua trailed off, grumbling.

"Would you like me to carry you?" Soo-Won offered politely, and Li-Hua could almost see the pink aura of clicheness around them at the moment. If she looked up, she would have met Soo-Won's worried gaze, and probably would have gotten lost in his light blue orbs. She felt her cheeks growing warm, despite her mind chanting to keep calm, and paused for a moment before answering.

"...nah," she deadpanned, unwilling to actually participate in the cliche scenario. "Just help me hobble over to the infirmary and I'm good."

In spite of himself, Soo-Won quirked a smile at the undeniably Li-Hua like response. He bowed his head, murmuring, "As you wish." He grabbed one of her arms and slung it around his shoulder and began leading her out of the lunch room, ignoring the whispering of gossiping students around them. Zeno, Kija, and Eun simply gave them all a nod before attempting to resume their lunch normally, already prepared for scenarios like the one that had just played out to occur in the game.

* * *

"This _sucks_," Yoon muttered, watching the scenario play out. "It's supposed to be a goddamn romance game, for god's sake. What about this scene is _romantic?_ They do this every single day already."  
"I don't know, I think it's kind of sweet," Yona said, tilting her head and watching the screen with faint interest. "Li-Hua and Soo-Won have always somewhat been that way, you know. I always have to deal with the shy girls that like him who want to know if the two are dating or not."

"Tch, the most amusing thing about this is how _miserable_ she looks, despite her 'romantic' situation," Hak snickered again as they watched Li-Hua glare up at the sky, probably cursing the three of them again.

"But Hak, why didn't you join the game?" Yona asked curiously. Unconsciously, she leaned a little closer to her black haired childhood friend, her amethyst eyes full of curiosity from the unanswered question.

Hak shrugged uncomfortably, noting the girl's close proximity and replying easily with a half-truth, "Don't see that woman like that, and probably never will see her like that. Some people say we look more than just friends, but I think we're more like siblings in a way. We're sort of similar."

"I see," Yona looked thoughtful, although she could sort of tell that he wasn't telling the whole truth. She quickly changed the subject, asking, "Where's Shin-Ah and Chung-Hee?" The two silent men were the only other guys in their vast group of friends, sans Yoon and Hak, who had not joined the game.

"Somewhere off in that direction," Yoon pointed generally behind them. "The author couldn't figure out a place to put them in."

"Oh. Alright then…"

"But things are a little too boring right now, so why don't we add a few challenges to spice things up?" Yoon grinned, his hand hovering over a shiny red button.

"Yoon…" Yona warned.

"It'll be fine. They'll just be experiencing some more fun…"

* * *

The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Li-Hua sighed contentedly, standing up and glancing over to Jae-Ha for a moment before shrugging. She wasn't part of any afterschool activities, apparently, so she was basically part of the 'go-home' club. She was about to invite the green haired man to walk with her home before Li-Hua realized who she was dealing with and immediately stopped herself. The game was probably messing with her head, because although it pained Li-Hua to admit, she had become much more aware of all the males around her and their rather dashing appearances.

_Dangit, Yoon. _Was this another trick up his sleeve? Subtle brainwashing? Li-Hua scowled and grabbed her bag, standing up. She was about to turn around and walk away when the fates (or Yoon) had to be cruel enough to turn everything against her.

"So, Li, are you alright now?" Jae-Ha asked curiously, easily blocking her path. He had somehow managed to escape Mary, but he didn't get the opportunity to check if his classmate was alright as the teacher was lecturing the entire time.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine. Main characters aren't very plot-worthy if they stay in the infirmary all day," Li-Hua grumbled, muttering another curse directed towards Yoon under her breath. "Are you part of a club?"

"Nope. I don't suppose I can walk home with you, can I?" Jae-Ha winked at her suggestively, and for some reason Li-Hua found herself shrugging in assent. He had obviously not been prepared for that reaction, as the flirt quickly froze, not sure of what to say as his usually suave words failed him. "Ah...um, okay," Jae-Ha said lamely. He quickly regained his vigor as he pointed off into the sunset. "Then off we go~"

"Jae-Ha, you're leaving your bag behind," Li-Hua deadpanned, ignoring the sparkly aura emitting from her companion.

"Ah, thanks Li!" The green haired man gave her a half lidded smile as he took the bag from her outstretched hands. "So you do care~"

"I just don't want you bothering me about the homework or something later at night. Hiryuu knows whatever else the game might throw at me," Li-Hua dismissed, not charmed by Jae-Ha's smooth words.

"But I'm sure that deep down—"

"—if so, _very deep down_," she interrupted, emphasizing her words.

"—you do care about me in your heart!"

They both just stared at each other for a moment, Jae-Ha still sparkling ('_ohohohoho~_') and Li-Hua completely unamused ('..._eh_'). Eventually, the girl gave up and motioned for him to follow, and Jae-Ha bounded behind her easily, relaying all sorts of gossip that he had managed to hear from different girls he had seduced.

Their avatars were moving automatically, so all that Li-Hua really had to do was focus on the conversation at hand, her feet leading her to wherever she resided at. However, instead of ending up at a house or anything, both of them suddenly stopped moving.

"This usually means something important is about to come along," Jae-Ha said thoughtfully, waiting for whatever romantic cutscene might start occurring. They were standing on the sidewalk of a bridge that went over a river (the _Suzukawa_, her game-programmed memories provided unhelpfully). Several cars whizzed by them from the car lane next to them.

"...five bucks says I'll start to fall into the trajectory of a car and you save me just in time."

"...ten bucks says there's going to be some kind of romantic confession near us that'll leave us realizing our eternal love for each other," Jae-Ha countered.

"Eh, fifteen says that there's going to be some kind of disaster or emergency—" Li-Hua's statement was cut off by a scream, and they both turned around to see a crowd of people (unhelpfully) gasping in horror as they glanced down at something in the water. Li-Hua couldn't help but send a smug look at Jae-Ha, conveying her message thoroughly and efficiently. _You owe me fifteen bucks later._

Jae-Ha 'tch'ed. "You never got to finish that bet. Void. Now let's check out what's going on."

Li-Hua and Jae-Ha walked over to the crowd of people, searching in the river for whatever might have been the cause of their distress. Li-Hua finally was able to spot a boy desperately bobbing up and down in the water, clawing his way up to the surface and trying to make it to the riverbank. The current was too strong, however, and he was pushed underwater again.

...was that Ryu?

...she was _so_ going to tease him about being a damsel in distress later...

Li-Hua blinked in surprise as she recognized another figure that was standing on top of the side of the bridge, poised to jump in the water at a moment's notice. "...Mary?"

The beautiful girl with luscious pink hair was being held back by several civilians, and she was screaming hysterically, "_Ryu! _Ryu, I'm coming! Wait for me!"

"Mary, what are you doing?" Li-Hua approached her rival warily. She was amused to note that out of the corner of her eye Jae-Ha was keeping his distance from the girl, making sure he wasn't going to be tackled by her again. "How did this happen?"

"It's a-all my fault. I...I wanted to hug him again, but h-he backed away, and then he f-fell off..." Mary choked. She began wailing again. "Ahhh, Ryu! I'm sorrrrrryyy~"

_Oh, god, not the waterworks. Hiryuu, please, not the waterworks._

"We need to help him," the terribly cliche sentence came out of her mouth, and inwardly Li-Hua winced because she could _feel_ her mouth moving without her doing it. The cut scene often had lines, but at the moment she sounded like an extremely cliche main character. "Mary, can you swim?"

She kept a wary eye on Ryu, and thankfully the guy was still getting along, although now the frequency that he was being dragged back underwater was becoming higher and higher.

"_No~_ T-that's the point! I'm strong, I can do judo and karate and tae-kwan-do and even the everything-goes martial arts, but I can't swim," Mary wailed. She suddenly regained her vigor as she pushed away the civilians who were holding her as she jumped off of the bridge, exclaiming something along the lines of, "Don't worry Ryu! I'll die with you!"

"...Yoon, I admit I am a selfish, manipulative, arrogant person sometimes, but no offense, _I definitely do not deserve this._" Li-Hua growled. Glancing at Jae-Ha, the two both nodded and sighed simultaneously before rolling up their sleeves. She turned around for a moment, telling the civilians not to follow them, before jumping into the water.

The water was _cold._ Freezing, actually, and it didn't help that she was still in her school uniform. She immediately felt the current tugging at her, trying to bring her underwater and deep down in the river. Li-Hua tried to judge the depth of the river, squinting underwater and estimating it to be around ten feet. With a few kicks, she broke free to the surface, coughing and inhaling precious air before whipping her head around wildly, searching for either a ginger or pinkette.

She spotted a mane of orange for a second before it was swallowed by the water, and quickly paddled over to where she saw it last. She felt a tugging sensation on her leg, and before she knew it, Li-Hua was being dragged under again. This time, however, she did not spend idle time surveying the river bottom and instead began swimming, moving along with the current, while trying to look for her missing companion.

_There._

Li-Hua swam towards Ryu, but she felt her lungs constrict painfully and had to give multiple solid kicks and swift strokes with her hands before she reached the surface again, this time gagging and swallowing mouthfuls of air. How could a river be this strong?

(Apparently, there had been a flood about a week ago, and the dam that usually contained the water that flowed through the river had overflowed. It probably had completely broken by now, with the constant rainfall that the town had been seeing for the past few days. Of course, her game-programmed information just had to kick in while she was fighting to breathe. Of _course_.)

"_Ryu!_" She called, reaching her hand out towards him and to her relief, she saw him crack his eyes open and reach for it. The current was still strong, however, and Li-Hua was quickly swept towards Ryu. The two of them collided with a grunt, and unluckily enough accidentally hit a few boulders (_that were so conveniently placed, thank you very much Yoon_) that left them coughing and gasping for air. Her left hand reached desperately for his and the two clasped hands, attempting to resist the current.

"To the left shore," she shouted over the roar of the water. She couldn't see if the ginger nodded, but both of them slowly began swimming in the same direction, their hands supplying them enough grip for them to at least attempt to resist the current. Li-Hua's right hand clawed at the riverbank, and finally she felt dirt and gravel. She tugged on Ryu, pulling him to the edge of the riverbank, and both of them stayed like that for a moment, holding on desperately to the mound of rocks and dirt that was keeping them from being washed away.

Then she felt a hand grab her unoccupied hand and haul her up on the riverbank, and out of the corner of her eye she could see that Ryu was also being dragged up. She glanced up to meet emerald green eyes and simply breathed, "Thanks Jae-Ha."

His eyes crinkled in understanding. "Yeah. I got Mary too." He jerked his head over to where the pink haired girl was on the ground, unconscious. "I think she's okay, she just swallowed a lot of water when she was wailing Ryu's name."

Li-Hua turned towards Ryu and blinked in surprise as she recognized the figure that had pulled Ryu up. "Kyo-Ga? What are you doing here?"

"In case you've forgotten, we _live_ together. At least, in here. I happened to pass by the same route and heard some commotion going on here." Kyo-Ga hardly paid a glance at her as he sighed nonchalantly and began unbuttoning his shirt. Li-Hua was simply frozen, unsure of why her childhood friend would be stripping, but ultimately chose to remain silent. The man tossed her his shirt, and with skilled reflexes she caught it. There must have been some question in her eyes because Kyo-Ga elaborated, "Your shirt's translucent."

"Ah, thanks." Li-Hua glanced down self consciously before shrugging and easily pulling the shirt over her, as Kyo-Ga's tall frame was fairly larger than hers. She'd apologize later when they got out of the game or something.

"Hi, miss! Are you alright?" A cheerful voice called, and Li-Hua spotted Zeno waving to her from the bridge. Next to him were the rest of the gang: Soo-Won, Kija, and Eun. All of them had varying degrees of concern on their faces and almost looked as if they would jump in the water themselves to check to see if their friends were alright.

"We're fine," she called back. "We're coming back up there in a moment."

Li-Hua couldn't help it, but she felt a small smile quirk up on her face from seeing all of their friends gathered together. Looking to her left, she could see that Jae-Ha and Ryu were also smiling softly at the group, and she felt a surge of contentness. Usually, outside of the gang, Li-Hua's friends sort of had their own groups within groups. Yona had gathered most of the boys to follow her. Ryu, Eun, and Chung-Hee often stuck with each other, but still hung out with the other group occasionally. Yona, Hak, Soo-Won, and Li-Hua were particularly close, and Li-Hua had managed to draw Kyo-Ga and occasionally even his younger brother Tae-Jun into the group. Recently, a girl named Lily and two of her friends had been hanging around Yona as well, although Li-Hua personally hadn't gotten much chance to talk with them.

Even so, the group always felt the most complete in these rare moments of unity. Li-Hua wished that things could stay like this: all of them simply laughing or worrying about each other instead of the constant arguing, taunting, and bantering they often did. She found herself so often caught in the middle of squabbles that it had become almost a daily ritual, although Li-Hua definitely preferred it when they all worked together.

"Well, guys, I'd say we carry Mary and get out of here," Li-Hua sighed, but before they could move there was a flash of light that seemed to engulf all of their surroundings.

.

.

_Signed out._

.

.

_Huh?_

Li-Hua opened her eyes, and at first the light seemed to be so bright that it was blinding her. But slowly, her eyes readjusted and she found that she was back in the real world, lying on the floor of the arts room that their group frequently occupied whenever they need a meeting place. Yoon was sitting with his laptop plugged in, and when he saw them all waking up he gave them a friendly smile.

"Hey guys, welcome back," Yoon said simply. "I fixed the bug. It took a bit, but a pretty boy genius like me obviously wouldn't let something like that stop me, you know?"

"_Yoon_," she growled dangerously, taking off the VR headset and setting it down. Behind her, she could hear a number of chuckles.

"You're _so_ dead," Ryu chortled.

"See you in the afterlife, Yoon," Hak deadpanned.

"You were nice to Ao," Shin-Ah said simply, petting his pet squirrel. He had apparently returned with Chung-Hee sometime before they had woken up.

"You were a nice person," Chung-Hee added.

"We'll miss you," Yona nodded innocently.

"Hey! _Guys, _come on." Yoon protested.

"Five bucks says she's going to kill him," Eun muttered under his breath.

"Ten bucks says that she won't kill him, but slowly and painfully torture him," Jae-Ha said cheerfully.

"Fifteen bucks says she won't kill him, but instead damage his reputation in front of the entire school to get back at all the humiliation she suffered," Soo-Won said with a bright smile.

"_God_, you guys," Li-Hua groaned, but for some reason she still found herself smiling a bit at the group's antics. Just a bit.

* * *

**A/N: WOAH. It's been a year. Well, admittedly I like, updated the first two chapter then kind of gave up on this story for like four months, but still. A year. Now's the time to thank everyone who's been supporting this story. First, since I can't really give much thanks individually, thank you to all of the Guests and anonymous readers who've been reading this. You guys are awesome, and as a former anonymous reviewer myself I know the difficulties of not being able to actually follow/favorite a story in order to keep track on whether it updates. So, thank you very much. :D**

**Thank you to my favorite-ers! Knowing that people care about this story enough to put it as a favorite makes me extremely happy. So, here's the (ninety-nine? WHY, WHY YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE?): **AJPJweallluvJJ, AliceTheCat, Alikkatz, AnaJuarez, Anileath, Animefreak1145, Apple Of Eris, Autumnleray, Ava Hak Kuran, BelowtheFire, Chaos'sBride, CosmicMoonlight, CrystalVixen93, DarkNightAngel2013, DaughterFrost, DecayOfTime, EXODUS12, Eion1783, Elda-Shirakiin, GateBreaker, Giraffadon, GirlWhoLivedd, Gisolei, HeirOfFire, I ate fruit loops this morning, IcedLady, Ita-chan18, JDominique37, JessiexDKuroNeko, Jhendoe, Just-An-Average-Dude, KEJunge, Kai Dalton, Keelan1210, Kirei Nikko, KirikaAndo, KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi, LadyHazardous, Lenore is Lost in Dreamland, LuceRunsAway, Mark-Kris Robin Lancer, Mindscape-v2903, Mixie18, Mizuna Kurenagi, MsFanatic17, MyseashellCat, Nadeshiko Aoki, NerdyPengy, NightlyRowenTree, OniKuShita, Plume d'Ange Magic, PrimeraVastolordes, Procrastinatingismyforte, PuzzledPeppermint, RKamelot, Rieyama Yuuko, Roxanne Tacogirl, Ryu Sayuri, SaoirseParisa, Scarlet3Wolf12, Seonyan, Shabondy, Silver White Rain, Skylark-Hime, StarTime101, Starswithfault, The Last Nymph. TheRealTayler13, Tusia0095, Twilight Dark Angel, Unbekannte T, Venny, Yukiko17, YuzukiC, areualicene, blondmage, chocolatecandy123, colouredred, ddmahan922, deniseposch91, farihatariq31, grandmasfood, hitomeyaska, hyourin-kusabana, lanae0118, merleawee, nama1998sth, shavini5995, suiren1, toriburghartgmailcom, trafficcone, trohst, wanttobeadog, waterfall66631, xXFallenSakuraXx52, xenocanaan, **and **yuuki01200. **Apologies if there's any misspellings as fanfiction doesn't allow dots, so I kind of had to delete them and may not have caught some of them.**

**Thank you to my followers! We passed the 100 mark a while ago, and I'm so amazed at how many of you actually decided to follow this story. :D **Amares , Angstycat, Anileath, Animefreak1145, Autumnleray, Ava Hak Kuran, CandiedStars, Chaos'sBride, CosmicMoonlight. Cytheia, DarkNightAngel2013, DaughterFrost, DecayOfTime, Devilambyt, Don't question it, Eion1783, Elda-Shirakiin, Emrys Ivy, ErgophobiaVictim9008, Giraffadon, Gisolei, HeirOfFire, Himeno Kazehito, HoneyGrl, I ate fruit loops this morning, IcedLady, If-Fantasies-Were-Real, Ita-chan18, JDominique37, JaceSienna98, JessiexDKuroNeko, Just-An-Average-Dude, KEJunge, Kai Dalton, Keelan1210, Kirei Nikko, KirikaAndo, KonekoNoRenkinjutsushi, Kuro Neko to Kuro Bara, LadyHazardous, Lenore is Lost in Dreamland, LuceRunsAway, Lyanne810, Lynxkitten, Mark-Kris Robin Lancer, Meilinfan, Micaylarocks, Mixie18, Mizuna Kurenagi, MsFanatic17, MyseashellCat. NevermoreQueenl, NightlyRowenTree, Niln, OniKuShita, PhoenixRage92, PondRiverWilliams, Poppin' Roxin, Procrastinatingismyforte, PuzzledPeppermint, , RKamelot, RedFireCandy, Red raspberries, Rieyama Yuuko, Roxanne Tacogirl, Ryu Sayuri, Sae-san, SaoirseParisa, Scarlet3Wolf12, Seonyan, Silver White Rain, SkyAzusa. SongsofSiren, Special Agent Author, StarrySky0103, Starswithfault, SugarLandBabyGirl, The Last Nymph, TheLazyHacker, TheRealTayler13, Tusia0095, Twilight Dark Angel, Unbekannte T, Venny, Waltzing Shadow, XxXTwilight-SinXxX, Yorukifon, Yoshizawa Ayumu, YuzukiC, alexandreapeloquin, anionymm, areualicene, arisu09, arizona118, blondmage, colouredred, 91, diaaan, farihatariq31, gOthiCkUrOcHo69, graydevilforever, hardcoreGSfan, hitomeyaska, hyourin-kusabana, , justme2134, lavira06, littleanjel, lollipoprocks221, mutedsymphony, muzikchic4eva, nama1998sth, .927, pumpkinunicorn, rinazure, rowanowl, suiren1, sxcond, trafficcone, tsuyukitsune, volley-14-nerd, waterfall66631, wtfh, x-Suki Sakahara-x, xXKaminari-TsubasaXx, xenocanaan, yama-chan82201, yuuki01200.

**...god, my hand hurts from putting those all in a paragraph. I love you all, I really mean it. But I will not write out every username ever again...**

**And, of course, my reviewers. In particular, I'd like to thank all of the reviewers that have been constantly showing their support: **Ita-chan18, JDominique37, Ryu Sayuri, Roxanne Tacogirl, JaceSienna98, Skylark-Hime, Startime101, Blue, **and **Just-An-Average-Dude. **Additionally, a huge thank you to all other that have reviewed (since the Christmas special):** HoneyGirl, Lynxkitten, TheRealTaylor13, AJPJweallluvJJ, Mark-Kris Robin Lancer, and the plethora of Guests. :D **I've emphasized this so many times over and over, but in all honesty you guys are what keep me going. It's the encouragement I get through the reviews, along with the knowledge that many others are watching this fic, that really keep this lazy unmotivated author going.**

**A cheers. :D I wrote literally most of this 4/30 night. So, um, there went my sleep. All crack, mainly cliches, but just something fun if all of the gangs were to get together ish. I think the last scene pretty much depicted everyday life if the cast was together. ;)**

**How do you guys feel about Li-Hua at this moment? Her bonds with the other canon characters? The OCs (Eun, Ryu, Chung-Hee)?  
**

**(Btw I finally caught up with manga chapters again so I'm very happy. :D There were so many feels, man. I have a personal theory running that Soo-Won will eventually let Hak kill him and let Yona ascend to the throne. Kind of reminiscent of King Il's death.**

**Next chapter will be published with some cut scenes of my original plot of having Li-Hua basically be one of the many orphans that Mun-Dok adopted. Aka, she grew up with Hak.**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS. ILY.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: What is this? Have your eyes deceived you, or is this actually a new chapter?**

**I'm back~ :D Who missed me?**

**...**

**(silence)**

**Sorry for the long wait, haha. Lots of Author Notes stuff at the bottom of the chapter. I used a lot of helpful articles about ancient inquisitorial systems for research in order to kind of do this chapter, but in the end I just kind of BS'd stuff and went with it.  
**

**(Actual) Word Count: 5,695**

**There are deleted scenes at the end of the chapter that makes this chapter so long. Sorry haha.**

* * *

"The great Emperor will hear both sides before making a decision," a man read from a scroll, standing proudly in front of a podium. "The accused is General Soo-Jin of the Fire Tribe, who is being pressed against charges of treason and abandonment of the country."

Li-Hua sat rather uncomfortably, despite being seated in a comfortable seat and sitting next to several of her closest companions. She could feel the eyes of the people on her, whispers and gossip already spreading. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the other Tribe's Generals had gathered for the occasion: after all, it wasn't everyday when a General would be pressed against such serious charges. The fact that it was Lord Kyo-Ga who was a main part of the prosecution's side was even something greater to gossip about.

Kouka had a very loose and ununiformed law system. Usually, cases would be handled by whichever Tribe the case mainly occurred in, and usually the Tribe's General would preside over the trial if it was particularly important. However, considering that General Soo-Jin was the person being tried, that obviously couldn't work, and thus Soo-Won had stepped in.

The Emperor had actually confided in Li-Hua before the trial started that he wanted to change the legal system, make it so that one man couldn't sentence another to their fate. That idea was revolutionary: Li-Hua knew of several countries to the far East, even farther past the Kai Empire, who operated in such a way, but Kouka had adopted their rather primitive legal system since the beginning of Hiryuu's rule. Before Hiryuu had come along, there _had_ been no legal system, and generally it had been working for the country for the past centuries.

"...Lord Kyo-Ga." The sound of Kyo-Ga's name was enough to wake Li-Hua out of her daze. Slowly, almost mechanically, her lord stood up from his seated position and made his way to the podium. She felt a wave of pain arise deep inside her, but she shoved the feeling aside for the moment. She couldn't afford to look weak right now, not when Kyo-Ga needed her to be strong. She remained stone-faced as she listened to Kyo-Ga begin to speak about his father.

"...he was the man who had watched me, raised me, trained me for the throne. I had spent my entire childhood looking up to him. I had spent my entire life striving for the Kouka from the legends he told me about. The Kouka and the Fire Tribe that I envisioned." Kyo-Ga paused slightly, not sure exactly how to word himself, but he continued a bit softer, "But this kind of Fire Tribe...this kind of divided nation was not what I ever envisioned."

Kyo-Ga took a deep breath, and Li-Hua was surprised when he looked over at her for a fleeting moment, their gazes looking with firm understanding, before turning back to his audience. "Eventually I was alerted by my men. By Zhong, my most faithful attendant that I had been told was dead several years ago. My father was planning to commit treason, and I was given a choice: to walk away and turn a blind eye to the revelation, or to uphold whatever was left of our Tribe's pride and stop him. I knew that Zhong would do whatever I ordered...and then…"

Li-Hua already knew what was coming next. She could still hear his trembling voice every time she closed her eyes. Her hand was gripping on to the edge of her seat, her knuckles turning white as her memory echoed that of which Kyo-Ga repeated once again.

"_Stop him. Stop my father."_

"...I chose Kouka. My father is not the same person that he was back in my childhood. Now, he is no longer the person who held me while telling me stories. He is a man who has willingly and intentionally attempted to rebel against our country. I acknowledge that there are many skeptical doubts of my intentions, and I know that no matter what I say up here, there will continue to be accusations and suspicions. But, on the honor of not only my family name, but the Fire Tribe's honor...I, Kan Kyo-Ga of the Fire Tribe, assure you that I will provide my utmost cooperation for justice to be served. And if that justice for my father is death, so be it."

There was a heavy moment of silence after the solemn vow, that of which was only penetrated when Soo-Won rose his hand and motioned towards Kyo-Ga's seat. "Thank you, Kan Kyo-Ga," Soo-Won said smoothly, with the grace of a true Emperor. "You may sit down now." Directing his gaze towards the man at the podium, he questioned softly, "The next witness?"

The man hastily unfurled his scroll and read off the name of a Fire Tribe noble who closely associated with General Soo-Jin. Li-Hua faintly recognized the noble's face from one of the meetings that she had accompanied Kyo-Ga in the past.

And so the trial went by, with General Soo-Jin himself yet to have been summoned. Most whispered that he would be called to the podium at the end, while others whispered rumors of an assassin murdering the General in the middle of the night. Several gazes flickered over to Li-Hua, who was still sitting ever primly with her feet crossed and hands folded neatly in her lap.

"—and it's just so _dreadful_ how none of us noticed the missing funds," a female Fire Tribe Council member fretted. Li-Hua recognized the council member and immediately her gaze turned dark. If she recalled correctly, the woman's name was Jiao, and she vehemently hated Li-Hua in the past because of her high position as Kyo-Ga's confidant and a commander of the army.

Li-Hua wouldn't put it past Jiao to have been in with General Soo-Jin's plot: the woman would not only be happy to see Li-Hua gone, but also was a disgusting suck-up. During the time that Li-Hua served for Kyo-Ga, she had heard many rumors of councilwoman Jiao 'sleeping her way through the ranks'. If Li-Hua's memories of the woman's rumpled clothing and smeared makeup during their late midnight run ins when Li-Hua was returning from the training grounds were anything of importance, she could safely conclude that the rumors had some grain of truth in them.

"That is enough," Soo-Won interrupted, and Li-Hua could tell immediately that her old friend was starting to get tired from the various accounts from Fire Tribe nobility. There was just the tiniest edge of annoyance that had seeped into the Emperor's voice as he spoke, although Li-Hua was sure that only a few of the people in the courtyard could have caught his irritated tone of voice. "Thank you, and you may take your seat."

Jiao huffed, obviously having more to speak (read: _gossip_) about, but the woman hurriedly made her way back to her seat after feeling the powerful glares of several of the other Tribes' Generals, who looked just as bored and annoyed as Soo-Won looked.

"The next person to the stand is ex-commander Li Hui Zhong," the man at the podium read, and the majority of the courtyard that had been abuzz with whispers and gossip quickly grew silent. Li-Hua knew that there were more than just _several_ eyes on her as she made her way to the stand slowly.

She happened to look up at notice Soo-Won's piercing gaze on her.

_You don't have to do this,_ his expression clearly spelled.

_I have to. I must,_ she conveyed through her firm gaze, knowing that he understood when the Emperor let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

Li-Hua turned away from Soo-Won and instead faced her large audience. Most of them were high ranking officials or nobles that sat in the newly-set up chairs. The entire trial was taking place right in the middle of the courtyard of the Fire Tribe palace, and even though there were originally worries about security, Soo-Won had placed a large amount of his guards around the palace to ensure that the important guests would not be endangered. The Generals and Soo-Won were seated to her left, and although they were being attended on by beautiful Fire Tribe courtesans and entertainers, Li-Hua knew that all of them were watching her.

After all, Li-Hua had supposedly returned from the 'dead'. Either once or twice, depending on whatever gossip source they were listening to. She was sure that many were still looking for answers for her absence for the past few years, especially Soo-Won and Mundok. The latter was seated in the audience, as he had retired from his position as the Wind Tribe's General. Oh, Mundok: he had been a very grandfather-like figure to her in the past, and frequently taught her life lessons through chess or _ougi_.

"_You focus too much on the Queen, on the most powerful piece. In doing so, you forget that even the smallest and most insignificant looking pieces like a pawn can still become something great." The old man easily picked up his pawn and made the final move, a half smile curving on his face as he said, "Checkmate."_

Yona wasn't here. Li-Hua believed that they must have confronted the army another way, and they were probably not risking coming to the trial where they could be discovered. She was sure they were working hard to their goals, though.

(In actuality, over in the Kai Empire's territory and escorting a mini-Hak back to his village, the Happy Hungry Bunch sneezed.)

Li-Hua sort of missed Jae-Ha's presence at a time like this. He had always been the person to lighten up the mood whenever the atmosphere was damp. He was the kind of person who could get her to smile (even if it was just for a moment, because afterwards Li-Hua would have definitely smacked him lightly on the shoulder and scolded him).

In all honesty, Li-Hua had _no idea what she was going to do. _For Hiryuu's sake, how was she supposed to start? 'Uh...hello, I've been with Kyo-Ga for about twelve years give or take unofficially and a bit less officially as his friend and bodyguard, then his dad sort of sold me off to the Kai Empire because they thought they couldn't pull off this shit with my influence still here'? Hah, that was definitely going to convince them all that she was sane. Definitely.

Li-Hua cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "Hello."

She _swore_ she could hear Hak snickering. She _swore_ she heard it, although logically she knew that was impossible as Li-Hua had already swept through the crowd of faces and knew that Yona and her group were not present.

What was she supposed to say? What did she have to say?

One look at her lord's face told it all. _Everything,_ his expression spelled. He had already committed himself to bringing his father to justice.

Li-Hua would as well, then.

A bitter smile made its way on Li-Hua's face. She took a deep breath before beginning to speak. "My name...was not originally Li Hui Zhong. It was Li-Hua. After a...particular incident, Lord Kyo-Ga saved my life. I was now an orphan, and after learning of this, Lord Kyo-Ga, despite his young age, demanded for me to be taken back with him to the palace. I was to be trained to be a soldier, as they had witnessed something in me that day that convinced them that I would be able to do so. I will not go into details about that incident as it is not relevant to the case at hand."

She closed her eyes, knowing that her audience was enraptured by her tale. She honestly didn't blame them, as they had to listen to Jiao chattering meaninglessly for the past half hour. "I grew up alongside Lord Kyo-Ga, a fact that not many are aware of. I was relatively close in age to my lord, and thus we grew very close. It was only a matter of time until he appointed me as his bodyguard, was what many whispered."

Li-Hua paused. She wasn't sure if she should throw in a bit about Soo-Won, but after all, one of the reasons for her MIA mission was because of her growing influence. "Around this time, about a few months before Lord Kyo-Ga appointed me as bodyguard, I met Emperor Soo-Won, or at the time Lord Soo-Won. My lord liked to bring me along with him to meetings, especially on meetings that would span for several days such as the assembly of multiple Generals, and this was how I met L—Emperor Soo-Won. I also became a close confidant of...the deceased Princess Yona and...S—Hak. Along with my friendship with Lord Kyo-Ga, it can be generally agreed that my friendships with these characters gave me an important role in the Fire Tribe hierarchy."

_Oh, yes, she was definitely going to hear a lot of gossip later._

"As some may be aware of, the Fire Tribe began small battles with Sei and Xing over various issues, ranging from trade to territory. This, of course, seemed illogical. The Fire Tribe, geographically, is the farthest Tribe from these two nations, and if the issue was over territory, it would have made more sense to attempt to attack the Kai Empire. I suppose now we know why the Fire Tribe chose to avoid the Kai Empire, and I have examined several court documents that confirm my suspicions. Lord Kyo-Ga and I found that approximately a year before the battles against Sei and Xing began, funds began to shrink, although we couldn't find out where they went to. At first we suspected it was the doing of a corrupted councilmember, but we held our accusations as there was no proof of who did it. Although I can not confirm this, I know that I arranged for some of my men to further research into this topic, and they will be up on this stand shortly to confirm or deny my suspicions of the funds going to the Kai Empire."

She had told Seung, while she was in the hospital ward, to do so, listing some of her close informant associates and where to find the court documents to help him. And Li-Hua was sure that Seung would do as she said. He was one of the few who was relatively uninjured from the battle against the Kai Empire's troops, and Li-Hua was so thankful that nothing worse had befallen one of her most trustworthy men.

"In addition, I was one of the commanders during the battles against Sei and Xing. Lord Kyo-Ga, at the time, was invested in lessons of war tactics and such, and told me that they probably needed me more than he did. I was given a group of particularly rowdy men."

At this, several chuckles resounded. A half smile quirked on Li-Hua's face, and she knew that some of her men were still in the audience at the moment.

"They did not expect a woman to do anything well. Women," Li-Hua said heatedly, "...were not only looked down upon, but mocked. Despite this, all of my men knew the punishment for desertion or insubordination, and thus they followed my commands. Again, I will not go into details, but because of the fact that my motto was not to leave a single man behind on the battlefield and to make sure sacrifices went unwasted, I eventually earned the respect of my men. We became a strong, feared, and united group of soldiers." Li-Hua knew there was more than a bit of pride that seeped into her voice, but she couldn't help it. These were her men, the men that trusted her with her lives while she trusted hers with them.

"This added to the growing concern the higher ups had about me. Most of the higher ups, I presume and will openly accuse _right now_, were a part of planning the coup. I will now accuse those whom I am aware of that have almost certainly assisted General Soo-Jin in his coup." Li-Hua's statement was met with a charged and shocked silence. It was a bold political move, she knew, but she frankly didn't care. They took away _two years_ of her life. Two years of chatting with Kyo-Ga, two years of bantering with Hak, two years of teasing Yona, two years of spending time with Soo-Won.

"Noblewoman Jingfei of the Hua clan." The name made several people in the audience gasp as they turned around to look at the furious looking noblewoman.

"Advisor Fa of the Fire Tribe." A man shot up from the audience and shouted, "_Bitch!_" at her before being restrained by three of Soo-Won's guards.

"Councilwoman Jiao of th—"

"I _refuse_ this nonsense," Jiao said immediately, standing up arrogantly as she pointed a pompous finger towards Li-Hua. "You are accusing all of us without evidence. Who is to say that _you_ weren't a part of the coup? Maybe those two years of 'absence' were just a ploy for you to sneak your way into the Kai Empire and gain allies."

"_Councilwoman Jiao_," Li-Hua said dangerously, and by the way that several people in the audience jumped in their seat, she supposed that she didn't suppress her killing intent as much as she hoped. Li-Hua took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself before speaking. "I assure you, I have plenty of evidence if you want to play that game. For both my absence _and_ your guiltiness. And if you _fucking interrupt me_ one more time, I will not hesitate to silence you."

And although Li-Hua was staring at the guards, the way that she was tapping on to her dragon hairpin, gold and still extremely sharp, was not very reassuring to Jiao, and the pompous woman let out a huff before sitting down.

She could feel the amused looks of the Generals from up on the stand.

"I hate that woman," Li-Hua heard Jiao mutter.

"Likewise," Li-Hua said pleasantly.

Jiao sent her an indignant look before shutting up when she noticed Soo-Won's gaze on her.

"Continue," Soo-Won prompted, although there was a pained look in his eyes. He _knew_ she didn't want to, but at the same time she needed to.

"And the majority of the General's close advisors and tacticians," Li-Hua summed up dryly. "My subordinate, Seung, has a complete list of the names and their offenses, as well as the accounts and documents we've gathered to prove these allegations as true."

"The higher ups, to be frank, wanted me out of the picture. I was a 'war hero', a close associate of Kouka's royals, and probably one of the few people who could influence Kyo-Ga to turn against his father." There was a sharp intake of breath from several people in the audience, those who had not yet connected the dots until she said so. "...I was assigned a solo mission: to scout out the Kai Empire under the allegations that they were planning an attack on the Fire Tribe. It was top secret, and only a handful of individuals closest to General Soo-Jin knew about this. Kyo-Ga was not aware of my mission."

"Interestingly enough, on my last night in the Fire Tribe, councilwoman Jiao gave me a snide goodbye and wished me the 'best of luck' on my mission, despite the mission being classified." Li-Hua drolled, glaring at the woman.

"Wha—I...eh? This is...this is nons—!"

"_Silence._" Li-Hua growled. She smoothed her expression to a much more placid one and continued, "Miss Jiao was rumored to have slept her way through the ranks, and for those who want more gossip, I can safely assure you that some of the rumors have a grain of truth in them."

"You can't—!"

"_I said: do not speak_," Li-Hua interrupted, her voice darkening. Turning to the majority of her audience again, she ignored Jiao's indignant sputters and continued. "I can go on and on about the other higher ups I suspect, but I assume that you all must be very curious about my absence for the past two years."

"I went to the Kai Empire as ordered. I did not have the time to say my goodbyes to anybody, for I was ordered to leave that very night. And as councilwoman Jiao suggested, I _was_ in the Kai Empire for the past two years or so, however I was not there to rendezvous with Kai leaders or the like."

Li-Hua's hand shook slightly, and she wondered, _could she do this?_ Could she really reveal herself, her insecurities, her weaknesses...all to a crowd of over a thousand? She knew...she knew that at the moment, Soo-Won surely suspected, but only Seung really knew the truth behind her two years. He told her that the medics who worked with her had been sworn to secrecy by him.

But without her evidence, it was possible that the higher ups could twist their words. Politics were a dangerous thing, and without concrete evidence, she was sure they could somehow manage to get themselves and General Soo-Jin off on a lighter sentence. The words of the people could only amount to so much after all.

Why was she the one who had to do this all? Why must she shoulder the burden? Why must she be the self-sacrificing martyr? (She knew the last one was not true, because whenever she heard self sacrificing, all she could think of was ginger hair and a bright, bright grin.)

_Fuck it all._

Li-Hua was so done. "If you would excuse my improperness..._Seung_," she called.

Seung's face showed no expression as he made his way up to the stage. She gave him a nod and turned around so her back faced the audience. She was, for the time being, wearing bandages around her chest, so she wasn't too worried about modesty. Life as a soldier basically rid her of any sense of modesty anyways.

She pulled up her hair as Seung started to unbutton her top.

"We are _so_ going to be the hottest topic of the gossip mill later," Seung muttered under his breath. Snide as usual.

Li-Hua let out a small chuckle, still holding up her hair to make sure it didn't get caught on the buttons. "I concur."

She was sure that many of the women in the audience must have been shaking their heads or fanning themselves out of embarrassment. Li-Hua was also sure that, despite her lack of sense of modesty, her face was a shade more red than it was before.

Seung finished unbuttoning her shirt, and slowly Li-Hua slipped her arms and torso out and unwrapped the bandages around her arms. The bandages unfurled easily, revealing scarred and burned skin underneath. Whatever gossip that still might have been floating around the courtyard stopped immediately.

Li-Hua traced one of the scars running along her left arm delicately. Still facing her back to the audience, she began to speak dully, "For those in here who are not soldiers, I assure you that those who have fought in battles before can tell that these scars are not all from the battlefield."

Seung touched the large burn scar on Li-Hua's back lightly, the feeling of his skin against her still sensitive skin making a jolt run through her body. That was the disfigured shape that Yoon had seen back in Awa (which seemed so far away now…) and had made a comment about. "The largest scar that you see on my back," Li-Hua narrated, almost as if it wasn't _herself_ that she was talking about. "...is a brand that the Kai Empire uses when interrogating and torturing prisoners. It depicts a snake, curving and twisting into an almost 'K' like shape. Or at least that's what I've learned, as I can't see the burn myself."

Li-Hua watched as several noblewoman turned a sickly pale color and quickly excused themselves from the trial for some 'fresh air'.

"Kai officials attempted to interrogate me for any important information I may have picked up while around the Princess and Lord Soo-Won. I can say that the torture resistance classes that the Fire Tribe implements should probably be upped a notch, because it seems as if the Kai Empire has developed several new torture techniques that we were not informed nor trained on."

She didn't want to turn around and see whatever Soo-Won and Kyo-Ga's expressions must have been like. Soo-Won...Soo-Won had always been protective of her, to some extent, and if a man trying to slap the Princess once made him almost banish that man from the kingdom, she didn't want to see his expression at the moment. Kyo-Ga, similarly, had always found himself responsible for his men's safety. Even though she had told him that there was nothing he could have done, she knew he would definitely be blaming himself.

* * *

_Soo-Won_

.

Even though Li-Hua was treating the entire experience like a regular medical procedure, like a regular trial...just another _mission_, Soo-Won himself felt ill as he watched his companion (his _friend,_ his...his...just _Li-Hua_) speak of her experience methodically. Her words made it sound like the mission had been hard, but she had eventually triumphed and was completely fine.

But Soo-Won knew her. He _knew_ Li-Hua, and that was why he could detect the subtle flashes of fear and pain in her eyes as she spoke. Li-Hua was not a person to fear anything or anyone easily: she had stared down Earth Tribe General Geun-Tae, argued with Water Tribe General Joon-Gi, and even faced down Fire Tribe General Soo-Jin himself without any fear of death. To see his friend in such a state pained Soo-Won to such an extent that he wanted to call off the trial. Call it off and be done with it.

She didn't deserve this.

But Soo-Won knew that he was an Emperor, and an Emperor had to display himself as a symbol of strength for the people. _Especially_ now, when Kouka was divided. If an Emperor looked weak, what did that say about the nation?

He knew that his fists were clenched tightly in his lap, his arms shaking from both anger and trying to keep himself under control. Geun-Tae was giving him a funny look, while the newly appointed Wind Tribe General Tae-Woo gave him a concerned look. Soo-Won had to keep his cool: his pokerface was the one thing that allowed him to disassociate from reality.

If he could keep the same face while he killed his Uncle, why couldn't he keep a straight face now?

Was it because it was torture? No, that couldn't be right. Murder, torture...both things that he acknowledged as equal evils. ("_Because nobody deserves to die, Soo-Won," a gentle hand patted his head._)

Or maybe...was it because it was Li-Hua? Did he consider himself closer to Li-Hua than he was to King Il? King Il had been an almost father-like figure to him...and due to the circumstances, his murder was necessary. But at the same time, Li-Hua had been his childhood friend. Soo-Won had felt conflicted with Il's death because of Yona...yet even so, seeing Li-Hua in this state made him lose his cool.

Soo-Won decided there was no point in trying to compare the two situations. Each had its own circumstances and outcomes, and for some reason Li-Hua's torture (_just associating her name and that word in the same sentence made him want to vomit_) just affected him in a different way.

He knew what he had to do, and he knew she knew what she had to as well.

"Li-H...Li Hui Zhong, please elaborate," he spoke, his mouth feeling as dry as cardboard. When she glanced up to meet his eyes, Soo-Won felt stupefied when he realized that there was no judgment, no blame, no anger directed towards him. Just a bit of amusement, regret, and bitterness.

"Frequent beatings, obviously. They loved using hot iron. There was something called an electrical chair that sends shockwaves into your system, although they lowered the amount of energy needed just so that they could shock me to the point of paralysis but not death. There was the White Room treatment, where...where they tried to psychologically isolate me from the world...it was...not the best of…" Li-Hua's breaths began to come out in hurried gasps. Seung grabbed Li-Hua's hand and began murmuring things to her.

"Flashback," Soo-Won heard Earth Tribe General Geun-Tae mutter under his breath sympathetically. As a renown war hero, Soo-Won supposed that Geun-Tae could relate.

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure," Li-Hua said slowly, straightening herself. Even though she looked better now, there was still the tiniest glint of fear in her eyes. She coughed awkwardly before continuing. "At one point they put me in a small cell with one other person. The two of us tried to ignore each other at first, because we knew nothing good would come out of associating with each other, but after weeks of being stuck in a small cell together you can't help but bond. Her name...her name was Ji-Han, and she was a spy from Xing who tried to investigate a human trafficking ring that led from Xing to the Kai Empire."  
Soo-Won could already predict what would happen next, but it didn't lessen the impact of Li-Hua's statement at all.

"They beheaded her at the guillotine right in front of my eyes," she said solemnly.

There was a deep, dark moment of silence. The silence penetrated the courtyard, its suffocating presence making several shift uncomfortably in their chairs.

"Anyways...I was eventually freed by an undercover group of Xingese operatives. Originally they were planning on taking me back to Xing for further questioning, but I bonded with several of the members and they allowed me to…'escape'. I have been wandering around Kouka's tribes for the rest of my absence, mainly investigating smaller shady incidents such as the human trafficking ring at Awa Port, located in the Earth Tribe. Eventually I decided to face my responsibilities and returned here, to the Fire Tribe."

"How did you go undetected?" General Geun-Tae couldn't help but ask curiously.

"I…" Li-Hua coughed awkwardly, and Soo-Won noticed that Seung was giving the woman an amused look. "I pretended to be a missing male soldier and kept a relatively low profile. I was not aware of when Soo-Jin might have made his move, so I mainly tried to associate with soldiers in the hopes that I'd find an opening to talk to Lord Kyo-Ga."

"I am _definitely_ going to be gossiped about later," Li-Hua muttered under her breath. Soo-Won, who heard her, let out a small laugh.

"Multiple witnesses have already made accounts of such, but to sum up, I used my influence, ethical questioning, and Lord Kyo-Ga's authority to turn the vast majority of the Fire Tribe soldiers General Soo-Jin was leading against him and his Kai Empire allies. I...killed Li Hazara before falling into a state of unconsciousness myself."

Li-Hua paused before giving a shrug. "That is all."

…

…

…

"You may take your seat," Soo-Won said, not sure exactly what else to say. "Seung, you may remain on the stand if you have anything else to add."

"Not really, your majesty," Seung shrugged casually.

"...you may also take your seat." Soo-Won paused before glancing over at the faces of the Generals. He addressed them and the crowd, "Normally, it would be standard for I and the Generals to discuss before coming to a verdict for such a case, but I think that we all agree. No?"

The Generals all stared at each other for moments, each trying to will the other person to express himself first.

"I agree that the accused is guilty," Wind Tribe General Tae-Woo raised his hand awkwardly. "And will agree to whatever punishment his majesty suggests."

"Likewise," Geun-Tae said casually, yawning.

"...I suppose," Water Tribe General Joon-Gi said delicately, as politically careful as always.

"Then as the accused has refused the offer to speak for himself, and we have no further witnesses, we can now judge that Kan Soo-Jin is guilty of treason and abandonment of the country. The sentence…" Soo-Won casted a glance at everyone who had spoken. Kyo-Ga's eyes were earnest, and Soo-Won could instantly read the message in his expression.

_My father would not want the family's honor to be disgraced even further._

Soo-Won dipped his head in assent. "The sentence," he repeated, "...will be death."

* * *

_DELETED SCENES:  
QUICK NOTE: These were my original drafts for Soar. The story originally was going to start at the Fire Tribe arc, and the main romantic focus was only Jae-Ha. Li-Hua, in this version, grew up alongside Hak in the Wind Tribe. She was one of the orphans that Mundok took in. Also, this still correlates with chapter 1 of the new/current version of this story. Thus, Li-Hua did meet Jae-Ha briefly when he fell into the hotsprings, but in this version she left Awa immediately after and never got to reunite with Yona and co._

_All of this is noncanon and unedited from my writing style fails in the beginning of this story. Word count: 3,913._

It was just another ordinary day at the bar. Strangers came flocking in by the dozen, attracted by the allure of alcohol, and Li-Hua was really just trying to get by as unnoticed as possible as she mixed together a few colorful liquids into a brilliant concoction as she set it down on the wooden bar, the liquid sloshing back and forth in the cup from the sudden movement. "Xing Sunrise," she said with a deadpan expression, and nodded as a waiter came and set down another order from one of the wooden tables in the back.

"Why, thank you," the stranger purred, and she rolled her eyes and turned back to the variety of alcoholic beverages behind her. She had no time to tend to half drunk men with nothing better to do but flirt with bar-waitresses.

Her amber eyes observed the clock, and decided that her shift was about over as she turned around and began to untie the apron she was wearing. The owner was a weird, but kind man, had a somewhat cosplay obsession and thus that was why she was wearing traditional Kai Empire clothes that hugged tightly to her waist along with a silk apron. In all honesty, they were quite similar to her regular outfit except her work clothes were more of a formal style.

After travelling out of the Earth Tribe, she had arrived at the Fire Tribe's capitol, Saika, discovering the small bar and making the decision to stick around her original homeland for a little longer.

Li-Hua was about to hand one of her fellow bartenders her shift-she only stayed until around 10 at night-before a hand reached up and grasped her in a more...inappropriate place as she was trying to exit the bar.

Her voice turned cold, her amber eyes narrowing and looking like chipped ice. "Hands off. Now."

"Come on, you know you like it…" The man half slurred and half purred as he leaned closer to her, his breath smelling like whiskey as she pulled back, revolted.

Her hand crept towards her jacket's pocket where she knew some of her weapons lay as she continued, "Look, I don't want any trouble-" She was cut off as a hand was placed on her shoulder as she felt herself pulled into someone's chest.

Her eyes widened just a fraction as she craned her head around in a futile gesture to see the person who had interfered.

"Listen here, this lovely young lady just doesn't want to deal with you. Got that?" A masculine voice resounded from behind her, and she turned to see a green haired man with emerald green eyes smiling down at her. Something about this man felt...powerful, and Li-Hua resisted the urge to step back. The other man grumbled, but pulled back as if he too sensed the danger emitting from the stranger. The man turned to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you." Although I already had it under control. She added silently, letting the man's blatant sexism slide for now because he was trying to be helpful.

"And may I have the name of this lovely lady?" The man beamed at her, his personality seemingly turning a 180 as she felt his grip on her tighten. For some reason, it felt like he had met this woman before.

"Li." It wasn't the whole truth, but it would suffice as his eyes crinkled kindly, and she had to admit as she looked into his honest eyes that he wasn't an entirely bad person, albeit a suspicious one with his foreign clothing and the group of people behind him.

"A lovely name for a wonderful woman." He was still wondering where he had seen those entrancing golden eyes before when she continued, flashing him a wary look.

"If you'll excuse me now…" She slipped out of his grasp easily, and for a moment the stranger pouted as if he had lost a toy before moving to adjust to her pace, walking alongside her as he tried to flirt with her with no avail, and her eyebrow twitched a few times as she was bombarded with questions.

"Miss Li, aren't you going to ask for your savior's name?"

"Don't want it."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Not very long."

"Why is a beautiful woman such as yourself out here with all these rough men?"

"It's a job."

"I'm sure that you can get a more safe job of your caliber elsewhere~"

"Listen," she whirled around, her golden eyes flashing furiously for a moment as she let out an exasperated exhale while pushing a stray strand of black hair out of her face, seemingly toning her anger down as she calmed down. "I'm thankful for you helping me out there, truly, but can you please leave me alone?"

"It's a gentleman's duty to make sure a lady gets home safely." Although he couldn't hide his delight at getting more than a three word answer from the stranger.

"I'm sure you have other people to worry about." Li-Hua thrust a glance at the group standing behind him: it was a suspicious group, with almost all of the people holding weapons or donning cloaks minus one short, cute looking girl (boy?) with feathers in her (his? She couldn't really tell) hair. Most of them were fairly tall, suggesting that the majority of the group was men, although she did spot one petite figure in the middle who seemed to be looking at them. Perhaps...a woman? Her eyebrows creased as she thought about it some more.

"They'll be fine." The man waved a nonchalant hand. "They know I can't resist a pretty lady. My name's Jae-Ha, by the way." He added with a grin, and although Li-Hua was half tempted to say I never asked for it, she opted for the safer option and refused to speak further. It was to her annoyance that the man was taller than her, by nearly half a foot, and easily matched her strides even when she tried to shake off her follower. Finally, she stopped and turned around.

"Are you a stalker or something? Because I really am tempted to call over some of the soldiers right now."

The man laughed, although the slight twitch of his shoulders was enough for Li-Hua to decipher that the threat had shaken him a little bit. Perhaps he did something illegal and was on the run? She ran through the list of local criminals in the Fire Tribe at the moment that she could remember from her research but to no avail could remember anyone with the name of Jae-Ha. He tried to clarify with her, "I'm not a stalker."

Before Li-Hua could retort, a girl put her hand on Jae-Ha's back. "Jae-Ha, if she says that she doesn't want to deal with you, you shouldn't force her. Besides, this woman...Li-Hua!" The black haired girl was suddenly pulled into an embrace as the red haired girl hugged her tightly, her amethyst purple eyes nearly sparkling like gems as she bombarded Li-Hua with questions. "How have you been? We heard that you were left the Wind Tribe?"

"How do you know…" Li-Hua trailed off as she recognized the figure and she stopped dead in her tracks, her breath catching as her amber eyes lit up with recognition and relief. "...Yona? Princess Yona?"

"In the flesh." Yona's amethyst eyes softened as they darted around as she felt the gaze of several onlookers on them as she ignored Jae-Ha's pouting 'she didn't even tell me her full name'. "Why don't we take this conversation elsewhere?"

* * *

"Why are you in the Fire Tribe's territory right now?" Yona questioned. At the moment, the girl's entire group of followers were all seated on comfortable red cushions as they sat in the inn they had rented for the night. Originally they had planned to only stay in Saika for a little, but with the sudden appearance of the Kai Empire's army had kept them in the city for quite some time, waiting for news of the attack to begin. "It's dangerous here."

"I can say the same to you, Princess." Li-Hua played idly with a little trinket she had picked up from one of the markets in the Sky Tribe. It was a nice silver hairpiece, rumored to bring happiness to the owner according to the person she had bought in from. It was probably just another rip-off, but she couldn't help but grow attached to the souvenir as her eyes softened. "I had heard from the old geezer that you and Hak took off from Kuuto, but I didn't get to hear why. Mind to enlighten me?"

The princess's eyes grew dark, and the black haired girl retracted her statement as she felt Hak's heavy gaze on her. "Never mind. That was a little insensitive of me, wasn't it? Anyways, what's with all of these-" she waved vaguely towards the men behind Yona, barely stopping herself from saying handsome and instead replacing the word with a more derogatory term "-idiotic looking people?" She ignored the protests from Jae-Ha and the rest of them, although she noted that the masked person stayed silent and unwavering the entire time.

"They're our comrades. They're helping me."

"Do what?" She turned her gaze towards Hak. Li-Hua knew that they Lightning Beast would do anything for the Princess, and thus would never go against her judgement. The last time the amber eyed girl had met Yona, the red head wasn't the most...experienced when it came to the hardships of the people. She could be doing something foolish, possibly leading Hak and the rest of her comrades to death.

Yet now...as Li-Hua looked into the redhead's eyes, she couldn't help but admit that Yona seemed to be vastly different from her past self. There was confidence in her eyes...along with some kind of emotion that she couldn't really recognize. It was something akin to determination and resolve.

A smile tugged at her lips. It seemed like Yona had grown up well. She didn't need to worry about Hak, nor the Princess anymore.

"We're helping the people. And we can't do as much if I sit on the throne and wait for things to happen. That's why…" Her gaze turned towards Li-Hua. "...will you join us? We can always use another helping hand."

Li-Hua considered the notion for a moment, rolling her shoulders and leaning back on the plush red chair she was seated in, a lazy smirk crawling over her face. "You know I only work for money."  
"Same greedy hag as always, I presume." Hak muttered in the corner, and both girls shot him a warning glance before returning to their conversation.

"What do you wish for?" Yona ignored the hissed whispers of the shortest boy in their group saying something about them not having any Ling to give the girl. "We can offer you what we have. Herbs?"

"Not interested."

"Knowledge?" The short kid piped up, holding up a book.

"Nope."

"Myself?" Jae-Ha thrust out the suggestion, raising his eyebrows suggestively as a smirk played on his face, opening his arms wide open as if asking her to embrace him.

"Rejected," Li-Hua said immediately without any remorse, and the green haired man started sulking in the corner of the room while muttering about how he lost his ability to pick up girls. She tilted her head for a moment, tapping a finger to her chin as she considered the advantages and disadvantages of having the group as her allies.

"We don't have any money at the moment, but I promise we'll pay you when we have the chance." Yona's eyes were cool as she watched her former companion.

The girl threw her head up into the air and laughed. "You know me too well, Princess." Yona held out her hand to the woman, and Li-Hua managed a smirk as she took it and shook it firmly. "I'm holding you to your word."

The action was fairly similar to one they had done in the past, and a smile flickered on her lips as her mind wandered far away, back when things weren't so complicated.

* * *

"Ah, it's Li-Hua! Li! Wait up!" Yona, the red haired princess, bounced up energetically as she rushed over to her only female companion. Li-Hua was one of the many kids Hak's grandfather picked up, and although her arrival in the Wind Tribe was quite mysterious, she had grown close to the Princess (despite Hak's reluctance and wariness).

The girl turned around and saw Yona's petite figure running towards her, and a warm smile overtook her face. "Princess, it's nice to see you again. Do you need something?"

"Do you want to play with me? Soo-Won-" the girl put her hands together on her face and blushed, the tint matching the red of her hair, "-and Hak have gone off somewhere again and left me."

...Li-Hua very much doubted that the Princess had been left by the over-attentive Hak and theorized that the red haired girl must have gotten lost (again, since once Soo-Won had stopped by and told her about one time when they had sneaked out of the palace and into Kuuto's markets, along with the fact that Hak had taken out some human traffickers without any problems so the girl knew it wasn't the first time this had happened). "How much are you willing to pay me for that?"

"Pay? I need to pay you to play?" Yona puffed out her cheeks, fiddling with her red hair as her amethyst purple eyes glanced up at her friend (?) pleadingly as the other girl was highly unaffected from her pleading gaze (unlike Hak, who Yona literally had wrapped all over her little finger).

"Money makes the world go around. So?"

"I-I'll pay you later! I don't have any Ling on me right now so-" Yona started sniffing, her eyes watering.

"Okay, but you'd better." Feeling as if the pampered girl was about to cry, Li-Hua's golden eyes widened a fraction as a pink hue dusted over her cheeks, holding up her hands and moving them around frantically as her next few words came out as a frantic whisper. "Okay, I'll do it, just pleasedon'tcry!"

Instead, Yona laughed softly. "Li's really just a softie, aren't you?"

"S-shut up!" Her face was now nearly scarlet and mouth pulled into a thin line.

"Well? Let's go play!" Yona tugged on her arm, pulling her along through Fuuga's town square, and even though Li-Hua could have pulled away, she let it slide as she found a smile worming its way on her face. "We're friends, right?" Yona suddenly questioned and even though there was a slight hesitation the reply made her smile.

"...yeah."

* * *

It was the next day. They were all seated, cross legged, in the middle of the room. Yona was seated behind the silver haired man and Hak, and Li-Hua sat next to the tall bodyguard so as to be as far away from Jae-Ha as possible. The quiet masked man was sitting next to the strawberry blonde kid (of which she still couldn't figure the gender of).

"So why did you leave Fuuga? Won't Han-Dae and Tae-Woo be worried? Not to mention Gramps." It was rare for Hak to start up the conversation, but it seemed like the sudden appearance of one of his childhood...acquaintances (they had never really been on good terms as children because of Hak's suspicious and wary nature, although she did eventually earn his respect when he had dueled with her despite the fact that she lost) had prompted him to speak up. He ran a hand through his messy black hair as his obsidian eyes met her golden orbs.

"...reasons. The past catching up to me, I suppose." The girl shrugged, not at all inclined to give any more information away than necessary as Hak's eyes narrowed, recalling the things the girl had so proudly brandished towards him the last time he met her.

"But you had been so proud of establishing an information network there. What happened to that?"

"Still doing it. Just using different methods." Li-Hua waved in the direction of the bar. "Liquor and sweet talking loosens the lips more than you know." Shifting uncomfortably under his scrupulous gaze, she changed the subject. "You've grown taller."

"Tch, of course. You haven't seen me for a long time." Nearly a few years, and both of them knew that as the conversation drifted into silence again, both of their minds weighed with heavy thoughts until Li-Hua finally broke the silence.

"...you know, Hak, I'm really glad you and the Princess are safe and sound. When Soo-Won told me you two had died-"

"You met Soo-Won?" Hak's voice had lowered dangerously as his eyes narrowed, giving him the look of a tiger as Li-Hua stood her ground, albeit a little shaken by the ferocity in his voice as he uttered his childhood friend's name with contempt.

"I did," she said calmly as she pinned back her black hair that nearly reached her shoulders with a golden hairpin in the shape of a dragon, decorated with jade in the center of its eye. "He was on the way to the Earth Tribe when I had encountered him, and it seemed like he had recognized me and thus informed me of your and the Princess's passing, although it seems like this information is inaccurate considering your presence beside me."

"Heh, seems like you've matured enough to not go blabbering whatever you hear. You used to be such a hothead."

"I still am. It's just that it's necessary to do so when being a girl travelling on her lonesome." Too many situations had come up when she had acted as arrogant as she had in the past, and eventually she just learned to keep her head bowed when needed, although that resolution didn't always keep as sometimes her temper still flared up. As if saying that had caused a magical spell, Jae-Ha popped up beside her and barged his way into the conversation.

"You don't need to be self-conscious anymore, Li~ After all, we," he said alluringly, cupping her chin with his hands as he lifted her face so her amber eyes met his jade green, his other hand snaking around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "...can protect yo-"

A hand flew up and hit the man promptly in the face, and he flew back and nearly bumped his head on the wall as he quickly recovered, grumbling and rubbing his head as Li-Hua simply blinked for a few seconds. "Oh, sorry. It's just a natural reflex for me to hit people if they touch me anywhere near the neck."

"...what kind of woman is she?" Jae-Ha mumbled as he sulked for a moment before brightening, striking a dramatic pose as sparkles seemed to surround him. "No woman can resist my allure for too long!"

"Watch me," she deadpanned, and the man made a mock gasp as he fell over, clutching his heart with (fake) tears in his eyes as she couldn't help but chuckle at his playful antics.

'You wound me, my fair lady~"

"You have to try better than that."

As if that comment had struck close to home, the man fell silent for a moment, concentrating as he closed his eyes and searched his memory for when he had seen this woman before.

"Ah!" Jae-Ha snapped his fingers together, his emerald eyes lighting up with recognition as he turned to his companion and beamed. "That's where I remember you from. You were that woman at the hot springs in Awa, weren't you?"

"...perhaps." If any, that statement made the raven haired girl watch the man even more cautiously as the rest of his group sent questioning looks towards their companion as if to say why-do-you-know-a-woman-from-the-hot-springs? But it seemed as if the group was used to the craziness as they all eventually sighed, the short strawberry blonde kid sighing and plugging his nose as if they did this all the time.

"What kind of woman brings weapons in the hot springs?" Jae-Ha demanded. "Women need to be feminine, delicate-"

"I thought you liked strong women-" Hak's thoughtful comment was cut off by Li-Hua.

"Well then, I have a question for you. What kind of idiot falls into the women's side of the hot springs from the sky?" The girl raised her eyebrows challengingly as Jae-Ha pouted.

Watching the two bicker, Yona's eyes lit up as she smiled. This was how it felt like to have friends. She clapped her hands to bring everyone's attention back to her as she gestured to Li-Hua. "Everyone, this is Li-Hua, one of my childhood friends. She used to live in the Wind Tribe, but now she's here with us. Li-Hua, this is Shin-Ah, Yoon, Zeno, and Kija. You already have met Jae-Ha and know Hak, so that's about it."

"I see." The raven haired woman nodded thoughtfully. "A pleasure to meet most of you." At that she sent a glance at Jae-Ha, and the man shrugged and held up his hands uselessly as if to say, what did I do wrong?

She sighed defeatedly, swinging her legs as she stood up, wondering how much of her information she should leak. Finally, Li-Hua spoke. "I'll have you know, since we're now business partners, that the Kai Empire's army has split up into two groups, and only one of them is heading here."

The room stilled, and to her surprise Li-Hua saw Jae-Ha's emerald eyes sharpen. She had always been told eyes were the windows to the soul, and despite her reluctance to call the pervert anything but intelligent, there seemed to be a flash of something in those eyes.

"Shin-Ah, how many troops are there outside right now?" Yona asked.

"Around 2000."

Li-Hua didn't question how or why the man knew that.

"...we will go out…" Yona began, looking to the side before turning to meet the gazes of each of her group members. "...and scatter the 2000 soldiers outside of Saika."

…

…

…

"What are you saying, Yona?" Yoon asked, his head looking back and forth between his group members and his leader, as if asking anyone else to protest as the group remained silent, a smirk playing against Hak's face as he leaned against his weapon for support. "Thunder beast, is this the right occasion to be smirking?!"

"Leave it to us, Princess!" Kija exclaimed cheerfully, voicing the rest of the group's thoughts as everyone else remained silent (minus Yoon's "put your hand away, you beast!").

Seeing as if an explanation had to be given, Yona stood up. "I don't approve of all Soo-Jin's methods but if they're hit by Li Hazara, the Fire Tribe will descend into chaos. If we do something about the Sen Province army surrounding Saika, general Soo-Jin can return to Saika and Kyo-Ga can start to move."

"But if we cause such a disturbance-" Yoon's worries were cut off by Kija.

"It'll be fine as long as we pose as bandits." As if it was some kind of inside joke, the group exchanged glances as Li-Hua raised an eyebrow. She had heard of a bandit group stirring up trouble for the authorities, but she never would have suspected it to be Yona and co.

.

It was strange how they could immediately stand up in unison like that.

* * *

**A/N: So...I wrapped up the trial. Yep. Done, satisfied (ish). There was a lot of political exposition and stuff and I apologize for that haha. In case you haven't caught my explanation in my profile, RL has been taking up a lot of my time recently. I'm still writing, trust me, but I have some other priorities that I must attend to. So I apologize for the wait for this chapter.**

**(Also, I recently realized I forgot to put Seung in the special chapter and facepalmed lol. Whoops.)**

**(I also have the strange urge to write a reincarnated!OC!genderbend!Hak or a reincarnated!OC!Yona.)**

**You guys are so sweet. :) Really, you are. I may or may not have addressed some of you already, but just for everyone's sake I'm going to try scanning through reviews and answering any questions or commenting on things you guys may have mentioned.**

**-Regarding Shipping: **You guys really like Soo-Won. Dang. I've grown to love him a lot too haha. I hope some of the Soo-Won monologue up there satisfied you all, although it is really hard to write him in character. Geh. Is it bad that I sort of really loved Ryu? He's such an adorable marshmallow. Well...he _was._ ;_; And Jae-Ha's been neglected recently, but if you check out the deleted scenes above that's how I always imagined his and Li-Hua's bantering to sort of be like. Just didn't get much of an opportunity to exploit that. But hey, the Water Tribe arc's coming up. :D

-**Regarding Li-Hua: **Li-Hua was created to hopefully fulfill the role of not just a mentally strong female character (which AnY has plenty of), but also a legit female warrior who can fight and has a large role in the plot. I adore Lily and Yona, but in regards to actual kick ass power they're still getting there. And Lily's two friends/guards are just bae. I hope that some of this chapter highlights the flaws that Li-Hua has as well, however.

**-Regarding the last chapter:** Um...I'm glad you all loved the clichés. I really wanted to add a cliff scene. Or a crossdressing reveal scene. Or a love letter scene. But sadly there was no time for that. ;_; However, occasionally if I feel like it, **I may add extra scenes from that modern AU storyline thing** just for fun/extra scenes/etc. Thus, **feel free to request for specific clich****é scenarios to happen. To any characters. Including Yona/Hak. Or Li-Hua/anyone.**

**You guys are amazing. ;D Feel free to comment on anything in this chapter/the deleted scenes/this author's note below if you have time. I'd love to hear from you.**

**Otherwise, thanks for reading! :3**


	21. Chapter 21: Superhero AU Special

**A/N: This was written because we need more Jae-Ha. It took a while. Sorry for the late update lol.**

**Summary: Think Miraculous Ladybug. Jae-Ha likes Li-Hua in real life. Li-Hua likes Green Dragon, Jae-Ha's superhero persona. Jae-Ha/Green Dragon, unfortunately, hates Red Falcon, aka Li-Hua's superheroine persona. Li-Hua hates Jae-Ha. Good times.**

**Inspired by _Who Needs Love?_ by Kaorei, a Miraculous Ladybug fanfic.**

* * *

The ground shook under the wrath of the giant monster's roar. Civilians screamed in terror, running around frantically and praying that somebody would save them from the ferocious beast. With every step the creature took, the earth itself seemed to split open. Cars were overturned, buildings were precariously shaking, and a school bus was flipped over with terrified schoolchildren inside.

...of course.

It was always a school bus.

Jae-Ha sighed and shook his head, making sure that his mask was still firmly secured on his face before jumping down from his perch on top of a building. With agility that little could match, he zoomed over to where the school bus was. His hands gripped onto the door as he tugged as hard as he could, but seeing that it was hopeless, Jae-Ha resolved to try a different method.

Motioning for the schoolchildren and their terrified teacher to move out of the way, Jae-Ha took a few steps back before rushing forward, breaking the glass and tumbling inside the bus.

"Hurry, you all need to get out," he warned, helping a little girl climb out of the window. He stayed inside the bus and kept a watchful eye on where the monster was still roaring, making sure that everyone had evacuated the bus before jumping out himself.

"Thank you, Green Dragon," one of the little girls said politely to him.

He gave her a wide smile and ruffled her hair fondly. "You're welcome. Now, a little lady like you shouldn't be going around by yourself. You should listen to your teacher and reunite with your parents as soon as possible, okay?"

"Okay!" The girl beamed, and to Jae-Ha's surprise she hugged his leg before running off. A small, genuine smile played on his face. How adorable.

Then, his expression morphed into a much more serious one. Brushing off the dirt and glass that had gotten on his spandex (_after all, spandex was a classic superhero thing_) uniform, he gave a dark look at the monster that was wrecking havoc. Jabbing a finger towards it, Jae-Ha raised his voice. "Oi! You! Yeah, you disgustingly ugly monster."

Once he saw that he had the monster's attention, he gave it a daring smirk and motioned for it to come towards him. "Come and try me."

At the green haired superhero's taunts, the monster let out another roar before charging towards him. Jae-Ha smirked, readying himself, but realized he heard crying from behind him. He realized that there was still a random lost child weeping behind him, and if Jae-Ha dodged, the kid would get hurt. He inwardly cursed himself for his presumptuousness and prepared to take the hit.

Instead, there was a blur of _red_ and somebody jumped on top of the monster, kicking it in the face with enough force that it went flying into a nearby building.

"Red Falcon," he heard the kid behind him breathe in admiration, the crying instantly stopping. Jae-Ha twitched. Why didn't _he_ get that kind of hero admiration from the kid? Of course it just had to be that annoying, cocky-

"Thanks for being a distraction, droopy eyes," the female superhero called over her shoulder, sending him a smirk before jumping after the monster and proceeding to subdue it with several kicks and punches. Finally, the woman snapped her fingers, causing several metal pillars to impale the beast and finally defeat it.

The monster wailed one last time before dissolving into a flurry of darkness. "_Execution complete,"_ Red Falcon said triumphantly, bowing for an imaginary audience.

"...I could've done that," Jae-Ha muttered. "Besides, I saved a bus of schoolkids."

"Brownie points for that," Red Falcon acknowledged, her ever cocky grin still present on her face. "Still, I took down the villain. Falcon: 36, Dragon: 32. Hah."

"Tch. That's only because you always swooped in for the kill at the last moment," Jae-Ha grumbled, although he knew that the score was still irrevocable.

"Touché, dear." A smirk curled up on her lips. "I'm still in the lead, _partner_."

The way the woman said it was obviously in a mocking one, but even so Jae-Ha still twitched at the title. Both of the superheroes loathed that title, and they both knew that. If any, Jae-Ha knew that Red Falcon and he shared a relationship more like _rivals_, but no matter how many times they told the press, their words would be ignored.

Glancing towards the town's clocktower, she cursed. "Gotta run. Let's talk more later."

"Not necessary," Jae-Ha muttered under his breath, watching the red clad superheroine zip off. Turning to the child, he advised, "Try to stay away from danger next time, okay? Now go and find your parents."

The kid nodded hastily and ran off.

Jae-Ha sighed and shook his head amusedly before turning around and hopping away from the scene himself.

* * *

"_Maybe in a different universe we could've been friends, partners even. Then again, that would've required for us to be able to properly communicate with each other."_

* * *

Jae-Ha had discovered he had superhuman jumping abilities when he was little. He had been playing a game of hide and seek when he decided to try hiding in a tree, only to jump to the highest branch with little to no effort. Of course, after that incident his parents had taken him aside and spoke to him about some of their ancestors sharing the same ability he had, and that was when Jae-Ha decided he would become a superhero.

Such a notion, however, was to be delayed for a while. His father had died on a ship voyage and his mother had passed away out from the shock and stress her spouse's death had dealt her. Jae-Ha had only been a superhero for the past year, and at the moment he was eighteen years old.

It happened that on his first escapade as a superhero, saving the town from some villain who declared himself the 'White Reaper' (whatever the heck _that_ was supposed to mean), he had bumped into the new superheroine Red Falcon. She was around the same age as him, from what he could tell, and for some reason the two always seemed to meet on chance encounters while saving the city.

Sometime along the line, the public had gotten the misconception that they were 'partners'. Most likely because of their close ages and appearances at the same time, not to mention their constant taunting and tense atmosphere around each other that could easily be interpreted as flirting with an amiable tint to it.

"She's too rough," Jae-Ha muttered, twirling his pencil and waiting for class to start. "Maybe if she wasn't so reckless and tomboyish…"

"Who's too rough?" Someone asked in front of him, amused. Jae-Ha almost jumped in his seat, had it not been for his ever present pokerface.

"Eh~ Li, fancy seeing you here," he said, giving the girl a flirty grin. "And for what reason have you blessed us with your presence?"

"I'm in your class, Jae-Ha," Li-Hua, or 'Li' as she was referred to by the green haired man, sighed and sat down in her chair in front of Jae-Ha. "Should've never started a conversation with him in the first place," Li-Hua grumbled as Jae-Ha fluttered around her, spouting out compliments faster than Hak and Kija's spats.

"Your golden eyes simply captivate my heart, Li~" Jae-Ha said overdramatically, proclaiming his love for her once again in front of the entire class.

"Just like how your emerald eyes repel me," Li-Hua deadpanned. "And don't call me that."

"What should I call you then? Li-Hua's too boring, Li Hui Zhong's even worse...oh! How about Vice Prez?" He asked, sending her a (what he hoped to be) sexy smirk.

"I've had enough of this," she sighed again and turned around. "Go flirt with some girl who might actually swoon at your advances."

Eh. He'd capture her heart sooner or later.

* * *

"_Of all people in the world that I could've sat in front of, I got the green haired flirt who just can't take a hint. Wonderful."_

* * *

Li-Hua immediately bolted away when class was over. She was _done_ with Jae-Ha's not-so-subtle attempts at wooing her, ranging from throwing notes at her ('the old fashion style', as he had dubbed it) to outright _whispering_ to her while the teacher was talking. She had to resist the urge to bang her head on the desk: it wouldn't be befitting of the Student Council's Vice President.

"I'm _so done_ with his pathetic attempts at flirting," Li-Hua complained, viciously stabbing her fork through a few pieces of leafy green lettuce. "Why can't he just take a hint and give up?"

Her two female companions sitting next to her giggled.

"He's a guy, that's what guys do," Yona, the red haired girl sitting to Li-Hua's right, advised wisely.

"Easy for _you_ to say, you're practically dating Hak. And, as I've known him for quite a while, I can definitely state with the utmost confidence that Hak doesn't do cheesy pick-up lines," Li-Hua muttered. Yona protested, but her protests quickly faded when she saw Li-Hua's smug look.

"Oh, shut up, I'm not dating him." Yona shook her head, punching her friend playfully.

"Yet."

"He just wants your attention," Lily, her other female friend, tried to say with a patient voice. Unfortunately, her voice wavered, and both Yona and Lily burst into a fit of giggles once again. "H-honestly..." the black haired girl said through her laughter, "I think Jae-Ha's pretty cute. I mean, you've had to have notice his abs whenever the boys are playing soccer and their shirts stick to their skin. Not to mention his _voice_, damn smexy. And I heard he does water polo too."

Li-Hua scrunched her nose in distaste at the notion and ate another few bites of salad. "Jae-Ha? _Cute?_ Lily, have you lost your mind?"

"He _is_ cute, though," Yona added thoughtfully.

"I don't even know why Hak hangs out with him," Li-Hua continued to complain. "I can understand Kija, Shin-Ah, and Zeno. They're as close knit as brothers. But _Hak_?"  
There was a loud cough from across from them, and Li-Hua remembered that the three of them weren't the only ones at the table.

"Sorry, Soo-Won," she apologized.

The strawberry blonde shook his head amusedly. "It's fine. Although I think us guys would prefer for you three not to discuss your preferences in men while we're around."

"Yeah," Ryu added, pouting. "I don't understand why you don't like _moi_, over here~"

"Probably the hair?" Lily said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin.

"Nah, most gingers are pretty cute," Li-Hua dismissed.

"Definitely his personality. And height," Yona said, nodding. The other two girls nodded their agreement, sending Ryu sulking in a corner.

"I think what they mean is that as childish as you are, nobody would ever see you as anything but a little brother," Seung added snidely, the words cutting into Ryu's heart.

The ginger wailed, hugging onto a reluctant and slightly appalled Eun. "Eun, help me~ Seung's bullying me."

"Seung, don't bully Ryu," Chung-Hee reprimanded, speaking in a monotonous voice. His poker face was still present while he said this, making him look apathetic, as usual.

"Now, now," Soo-Won laughed uncertainly. "Uh, Ryu...why don't you go and talk to miss Mei-Lin over there? I'm sure she likes you."

Ryu brightened at Soo-Won's words and immediately darted over to a table of girls, where Mei-Lin sat. Everyone at Li-Hua's table stared at Soo-Won with a deadpan expression.

"You sent the poor guy to his doom," Lily commented.

"Poor Ryu," Yona said solemnly, nodding her head in agreement.

"He will be missed. I think." Eun bobbed his head in assent.

They all watched as the ginger approached the laughing girl, tapped her shoulder, and asked her a question. Li-Hua couldn't stifle her amusement when she saw all of the color in Ryu's face drain out after she answered him, and they all managed to muster up some sympathy for their friend and patted him on the back when he came back.

"Nobody likes me," Ryu mumbled.

Chung-Hee patted him on the back again.

Everyone at their table stopped talking when they noticed Jae-Ha was approaching their table. Simultaneously, Yona and Lily scooched away from Li-Hua, who was currently trying to become unnoticeable by sinking down in her seat.

"I LOVE YOU LI~!" Jae-Ha declared, glomping her from behind.

Li-Hua swore that if she didn't die from mortification from the entire lunchroom stopping to watch the encounter, she'd probably be killed by Jae-Ha's fangirls. She shot a snickering Hak a dark look.

...she was going to have a _long, long _day.

"Jae-Ha…" she growled warningly, and that extremely dangerous sounding calling of his name was the only warning he got before she promptly decked him in the face. Student Council member or not, she'd justify it to Soo-Won later as defense from sexual harassment.

* * *

"_Sometimes...the things you do for love can be extremely painful."_

* * *

"You told me that she'd respond if I was more forward…" Jae-Ha groaned, his ice pack pressed firmly against his head as he stared up at the infirmary ceiling. "And to think that when I wake up, the people at my bedside are all men. Plus Yoon."

"Tough luck," Hak deadpanned.

"I don't think Yoon ever specified _how_ she'd respond," Shin-Ah corrected.

"I am going to excuse you from that comment simply because you're already in the infirmary," Yoon said sternly, twitching out of annoyance. "You can't go around declaring your love whenever you want."

"Yeah, Jae-Ha. Li-Hua probably felt embarrassed and taken off guard," Kija scolded, the situation seeming sort of funny considering it was usually Jae-Ha who was in charge of their small banters. "You know she isn't the kind of person to respond to such situations well."

"This feels like a girls' talk more than a guy talk," Jae-Ha muttered.

"Zeno thinks so too~"

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a flash of lightning by the window of the infirmary. All of them jumped, Kija especially looking spooked by the sudden flash of light, before rushing to the window. Outside of the school, storm clouds began to converge, forming a monstrous being that spewed lightning bolts left and right.

"Shoot," Jae-Ha muttered.

Hak, the only other person who knew of Jae-Ha's secret identity, glanced at the green haired teen out of the corner of his eyes before lazily stating, "It'd probably be a good time for our favorite superhero pair to swoop in and save the day. We should evacuate to safer ground until the monster is defeated."

"Ah, but I'd want to see the great Green Dragon in action," Kija said wistfully, unaware of the choked laughter coming from Hak at his statement.

"I don't know, I like the Red Falcon way better," Yoon commented idly. He had been saved by the superheroine once from being crushed by falling debris, and ever since he had become one of her avid fans.

"Now's not the time. Us. Go. Now." Shin-Ah urged.

"Come on, come on kids. Move along," Zeno repeated, a bright grin on his face as he pushed Shin-Ah, Kija, and Yoon out of the room, leaving Hak and Jae-Ha.

"You going to go, Droopy Eyes?" Hak raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, yeah. Make up some cover story for me, got it?" Jae-Ha waved away Hak's inquiry. "Now go on." After the black haired male left, he finally was able to let out a sigh of relief. Glancing at the lightning monster, which was still roaring and tearing down buildings outside, Jae-Ha decided it would probably be wise to transform now.

"I am one with the powers Fate has bestowed upon me, I am one of the Chosen. I am one of Fate's Chosen Executioners, _Green Dragon!"_

.

.

At the same time, in another place within the same school, Li-Hua excused herself to use the restroom and shared a look with Soo-Won, who'd definitely cover for her. Once she made sure the coast was clear, she closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath.

"I am one with the powers Fate has bestowed upon me, I am one of the Chosen. I am one of Fate's Chosen Executioners, _Red Falcon_," she murmured.

With those words, her transformation from the ordinary Vice Prez Li-Hua to the daring and cocky Red Falcon was complete. When she opened her eyes again, this time she was wearing a scarlet mask, and her hair had shifted into a brilliant shade of crimson red. Her eyes, glancing at the mirror, had shifted to the standard Executioner shade of stormy gray. Checking to make sure she was wearing her usual spandex costume and had all of her gear in order, Li-Hua exited the bathroom and raced across the hall.

Tugging at one of the school corridor's windows, she frowned when the latches wouldn't open. She was hoping that she wouldn't have to use her powers for such trivial causes, but the winds from the monster had blown all the doors firmly shut. Focusing on a point on the tip of her finger, she tapped it against the window latch and was satisfied to see the window unlock itself.

After all, manipulating magnetic fields was her Executioner ability. She knew that Green Dragon's Executioner ability was probably his superpowered legs, but both of them were sufficient at hand to hand combat as well.

Monsters were frequently drawn to their town, mainly because the town had hosted Executioners since the very beginning of its founding. Executioners were humans who were granted powers in order to vanquish such monsters, but their weakness was whatever item they chose as their 'anchor point'. Li-Hua's 'anchor point' was the golden hairclip still pinned in her hair. She would have chosen a hairpin had it not been for its impracticality at times.

If anchor points fell in the hands of monsters, then they'd gain superior abilities and unmeasurable power. That was why she couldn't allow for the monsters to win: not once, not ever.

Monsters often had a target, usually an unsuspecting carrier of an anchor point that didn't even know that they were carrying one. Usually those people would also have the powers of an Executioner, but probably would never realize so in their lifetime.

Li-Hua, after all, had discovered her powers by accident. She had dabbled in a bit of hacking here and there, and for some reason any kind of technology or safe was easy to break for her. After that, she had decided to continue along the path of expanding her powers, finding them useful.

Becoming a superheroine was completely unintentional, however. She had just been an ordinary student who had been in the right place and the right time, and after accidentally Executing a monster with her powers, she had been dubbed as such ever since.

It wasn't that bad, though. Being the Red Falcon was a stress relief, an identity that she could pour all her true emotions into without fear of being judged. Not only that, but…

...the Green Dragon.

_Shedidn'tlikehimshedidn'tlikehimshedidn'tlikehim-_

Li-Hua never could really pinpoint when it had started, but sometime along the line she had figured out that she _enjoyed_ his presence, and such feelings only escalated from there. She was sure her feelings weren't deep enough to be a _crush_, per say, but she knew that she definitely admired him to an extent.

Which, of course, she'd never admit to the guy. They were still rivals, and that would definitely be a blow to her pride. Nope. No way. Never.

Hopping down from the window and skillfully landing on her feet, despite the drop being from the second floor, Li-Hua felt a wave of exhilaration wash over her. This was truly what she _loved doing_.

"Hey, you're late!" A familiar voice called.

She already recognized it without having to turn around. "Cut me some slack, takes a bit of time to get here," she cheekily protested, swinging around the monster and narrowly dodging the lightning bolts shot at her. Eyes narrowing, she decided to test her luck and ran straight for the beast, jumping and attempting to run up its body.

...unfortunately for Li-Hua, she had forgotten that the monster was made out of clouds. And even though it was solid right now, whenever it wanted to it could easily turn its body back into a gaseous stage.

She had but a moment's notice before she was falling, the wind rushing past her ears as she flailed uselessly to no avail. There wasn't anything close enough for her to latch onto or stop her fall, so she prepared herself for a hard fall. Shoulders tense, she waited for the impact, but it never came.

"You're such a troublesome woman, you know that?" Green Dragon grumbled, his stormy gray eyes that were characteristic of an Executioner's transformation meeting her own. "You owe me one."

"You...you…" Li-Hua had no words, and even as he set her down, she was still fumbling for the right words. "...you saved me."

"...yeah. I did." Green Dragon scrunched his face in disgust. "What, would you have rather me let you fall?"

"It's just that…" she trailed off. "You never really…" _Treated me well in any way._

It was true. Green Dragon and Red Falcon hated each other, that was common public knowledge despite what the media said about them being partners. And that was partially true, or at least for him. Maybe it was her constant teasing, or the fact that they had started off on a rocky start, or the insults they frequently flung at each other, but she knew for a fact that he didn't like her. Or, at the very least, he didn't like Red Falcon.

Li-Hua had met Green Dragon once when she had not yet transformed, and the sheer difference in how he treated her was...sort of painful.

"_You're miss Li-Hua, right? You should get to safety quickly. Wouldn't want a pretty face like yours to get hurt, you know."_

"Oi, are you going to give me a free win? Because I'm not going to hold back even though you're spacing out."

"Yeah, yeah, twinkletoes," she shot back. "Fat chance. Watch me leave you in the dust."

"You're on," he sneered, and simultaneously the two of them shot at the monster.

Manipulating the magnetic waves, she forced several pillars of metal to impale the monster, unfortunately going straight through it once it flickered back into gas form. "Dangit, this won't work…" she muttered, glancing towards Green Dragon, who was trying but failing to land his superpowered kicks on the creature.

.

.

"Green Dragon, what patterns do you notice about it?" The rather serious tone from Red Falcon made him pause for a second to look at her. It was rare when the superheroine would act as such around him.

They had been forced to retreat a few meters back from the monster, which seemed to take delight in summoning more lightning. Usually, under better circumstances, he would've snarkily replied and refused to cooperate with her, but he knew that they were doomed if they didn't come up with something quick.

"It can only be one stage at a time, gas or solid. Whenever it's gas, it can use lightning, but when it's solid, it can cause more physical damage." Jae-Ha listed off what he had observed of the beast.

"Right. And when it's solid, it can create strong winds." Red Falcon added, her face scrunched in concentration. "We're obviously at an advantage when it's stuck in one form, preferably solid, so we have to stop it from turning back into gas again."

"Good point. Now, what kind of brilliant plan have you come up with this time?" Jae-Ha asked, half sarcastic and half not. If there was one thing he had to grudgingly admit about his rival, it was that she could come up with some creative and daring plans at times.

"Follow my lead," she muttered, and before Jae-Ha could do anything, he watched in amazement as his rival literally levitated several tons of metal (the city didn't care about the property damage they caused as long as they stopped the monster) and shot it at the monster, the metal rushing towards it at such a high speed that the monster stood no chance. At the last moment, she raised her hand in a 'stop' gesture, and the metal impaled the beast, who turned into gas.

Her face was concentrated as she kept the metal afloat within the monster. Seeing Jae-Ha's look, she said a single word that explained everything, "Conduction."

Within a matter of moments, the monster began wailing in agony as the lightning which it tried to shoot at the heroes instead shocked itself, flickering back into its solid form and instead sending a tornado of wind towards them.

With practiced ease, both Red Falcon and Jae-Ha escaped it with masterful acrobatic backflips. Jae-Ha immediately leaped into the air, slamming his superpowered foot into the monster's head and sending it flying back, slamming its body against the hard concrete floor.

Within moments the two had defeated the monster, glanced at the destruction, and gave a quick nod at each other before hurrying off.

"Mr. Geun-Tae's not going to delay the math test even with this," they both muttered at the same time, unaware of their unintentional synchronization.

* * *

"_Of course, the news anchors took that incident as more proof that we were a superhero duo. Great."_

* * *

"Li, how'd you do on the math test?" Jae-Ha poked his classmate with his pencil as the girl twitched in annoyance. "I think I failed."

"I'm glad you felt the need to tell me that." Although Li-Hua felt about the same way (she had been planning on studying during the time in which she had to battle the storm monster instead), she refused to show her distress at getting some questions wrong.

"Why, of course. After all-"

In Li-Hua's defense, not only was she stressed out from failing her math test, but she had just fought a gigantic monster, had her feelings jumbled up because of the Green Dragon, was still feeling high from the battle, and generally had been having a horrible day.

"Jae-Ha, would you just stop being such a bother and _shut up_?" Li-Hua growled, turning around at him. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm _not interested in you_. I will _never be,_ because you're an annoying nuisance. Now can you please be a decent human being for once and-" She noticed Jae-Ha's frozen expression and the words that had been meaning to pile out of her mouth suddenly just wouldn't come out. A wave of guilt hit her as she tried, "I mean...Jae-Ha...look, Jae-Ha, I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of that, I was just stressed out-"

His face was still that cool pokerface that had seduced so many girls in the past but had never fooled Li-Hua. Yet, for some reason, now his expression was closed off: she couldn't read him, sense his emotions, non read his body language. And she immediately knew that she had struck a chord that must have resounded in her classmate.

"N-nah, Vice Prez. It's fine. Wouldn't want to be a bother, after all."

He called her Vice Prez.

He never called her Vice Prez.

She wasn't sure why that was the first thing she noticed, but for some reason her heart ached and she attempted to rectify the situation, to apologize, "Look, Jae-Ha…"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Those words cut her more than any insult he could've thrown at her could. She was such a jerk.

When Mr. Mundok walked into the room and proceeded to tell them to open their history textbooks, Li-Hua couldn't help but sink deep into her seat and inwardly groan. Running a hand through her hair and staring at the pages without really seeing them, she knew.

She messed up.

* * *

"Ah, yo, Green Dragon~" Red Falcon waved cheerfully, in the midst of strangling a robber. It was the evening, but when Jae-Ha had heard that there was a heist going on at the bank down on Fifth street, he had immediately changed into his costume and left. He needed a distraction…

He chose to ignore the woman's greeting, instead making a beeline for one of the robbers and kicking the man in the head, the man's body landing on the pavement with a heavy thud. He didn't hit the floor head first, so Jae-Ha assumed the man survived and moved on.

(If he had been paying attention he would've seen the ever bravadous red-clad superheroine's smile falter for a second, her eyes flashing with pain before continuing with her familiar smiling facade. But he didn't.)

"Which one of you gentlemen wants to play with _me_, tonight?" Red Falcon purred, and when all of the guns the robbers were holding turned towards her, the superheroine almost _pouted_. "Nobody here knows how to have _fun_. Gosh, men these days."

(Jae-Ha _knew_ that his rival was just waiting for his comeback, the 'that's quite a sexist generalization, you know', but he couldn't bring himself to speak to her. The thought of continuing the _normalcy_ of their relationship after what had occurred with Li earlier in the day made him feel sick.)

He instead jumped and grabbed the bag of money out of the robbers' hands as Red Falcon lifted her hands and the guns levitated out of their enemies' hands.

"I guess these guns have been confiscated, huh?" Red Falcon commented breezily, the comment followed with an uneasy laugh. Jae-Ha looked a bit closer and saw the slightest flicker of _something_ in his rival's eyes and instantly understood.

"Well, I don't think confiscation is enough. I think these guys need detention to learn their lesson," Jae-Ha spoke, and he could see the look of _relief_ in Red Falcon's eyes at his return. It was obvious that she was being bothered by something today, and needed a distraction just as much as Jae-Ha needed it.

"Right 'o, so then…" The superheroine trailed off for a moment as her eyes zeroed in on something behind him. "Look out!"

There was a blur of red, and Jae-Ha was thrown to the ground.

"What the hell?" He groaned, his head throbbing painfully. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, he attempted to roll Red Falcon off of him when he noticed a sticky red liquid dying his hands dark scarlet. "O-oi, Red Falcon. Why...you...you just…?"

The superheroine coughed, red _red_ blood. "Think of it as returning the favor from last time."

"You…" Jae-Ha just hopelessly sputtered for a moment before remembering wher ehe was. "Stay there," he commanded, his voice darkening as he turned around to face the robbers. The men had suddenly come to the epiphany that pissing off Jae-Ha, especially in his current mood, probably wasn't the best idea. "You guys are going to see Hell."

* * *

The two of them were on the rooftop, Li-Hua wincing a bit as Green Dragon finished bandaging her shoulder. "Eh, not as bad as I thought it would be," she said half jokingly, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Green Dragon's eyebrows narrowed, his lips pursed together in a scowl, and she immediately knew that was the wrong thing to say.

"You fucking idiot," he murmured.

"...eh?" Li-Hua blinked to make sure that he was referring to her, but seeing that there were no other people on the rooftop, she concluded that he had to be referring to her.

"I didn't ask for you to do that."

"Well, I did."

"Why?" Green Dragon's voice was heavy with emotion, and if it was anybody but her who he was talking to, she would've called the scene romantic. Instead, Li-Hua sensed the storm that was about to come.

"...to...to return the favor, just like I said before," she explained haltingly.

"That's BS. You just got shot in the shoulder and say it was to return a favor?" His voice was now a dangerous low.

"You were going to get _hurt_," she said fiercely.

"_You have no reason to care!"_ His voice rose, the roar startling her and almost making her fall off balance. "We're not partners. We'll _never_ be."

Each word was a direct jab in her heart, but she couldn't help but think _she deserved this_. She deserved every word, for being the horrible person she was and _god_ when he gave her that furious look she didn't see him glaring at her, but her glaring at Jae-Ha. Li-Hua didn't know why she was feeling so down: she had treated plenty of people with the same demeanor, but for some reason whenever she closed her eyes all she could hear was his voice. _("Sorry, Vice Prez.")_

She didn't notice that her breaths were coming out in uneven gasps, and Green Dragon paused in the middle of his rant, the slightest bit of concern reflecting in his eyes. "Hey...Red Falcon? What's going on-?"

"No, you're right," a bitter laugh spilled out from her lips. She stood up, legs wobbling uncertainly before she managed to plant them firmly on the ground. "I...I need a bit of time to think. See you later."

She rushed off before he could protest.

* * *

"_...I really messed up, didn't I?"_

* * *

Jae-Ha never meant to hurt her.

Sure, he disliked Red Falcon. Her cocky attitude, brashness, and overall casualness somehow rubbed him the wrong way, but he never meant to ruin someone else's day. All of the frustration from school had just _poured out_, and she was just the person on the receiving end of the brunt of his tumultuous emotions.

He was about to stop the red clad superheroine, but for some reason he hesitated, and by the time he recovered she had already escaped the scene.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, resolving to apologize to her later. Making sure nobody was watching, he de-transformed and turned on his phone to see several missed calls from Yoon and texts from several girls asking if he wanted to go to karaoke.

He swiped out the notifications for Yoon's calls. He'd make an excuse later.

Thoughtfully, he glanced at the random girls' texts, and in a moment of impulsiveness, replied, '_sure.'_

The girls' excitedly replied within the next moment.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, yes, I'm sorry. Everyone needed more Jae-Ha.**

**It is unfinished. Glad you noticed. It'll be continued in future chapters if you guys like it. If not, well I guess you can guess however it'll end lol.**

**Note that Li-Hua acts different from her Red Falcon persona. Tbh Li-Hua from our canon storyline's more like a combo of both of these personalities. Yes, I'm still shipping Li-Hua/Jae-Ha. I swear lol. Hope you like the nice fluff and friendship feels.**

**We'll get back to Soo-Won/Li-Hua fluff and angsty stuff next chapter. After that, we should be starting the Water Tribe arc. Hopefully.**

**Tyvm guys. Really. :D I love you all haha, and don't worry, this story will still be updated. Shoutouts to all of my reviewers: all of you regular reviewers (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), the many extremely kind guests that have been encouraging and sincere and fluffy and ILY SO MUCH, and all of those who've just joined.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: What is this? An update, AND plot development both in one chapter?**

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here. Everyone's looking for you, you know."

Li-Hua didn't look up, staying in her crouched position on top of the Fire Tribe palace roof and instead choosing to tilt her head upwards to glance at the sky. "Is that so? You're not going to inform them of my location...now are you, Soo-Won?"

The Emperor's lips twitched upwards a fraction as, instead of a response, he simply sat down beside her and stared up at the sky. The Sun was setting, the once blue sky now turning beautiful hues of pink and orange. Up on the rooftop, there were no prying eyes, no quiet whispers, just the faint breeze that sent their hair fluttering into the air.

The scene was comfortingly familiar.

Even though they were at the Fire Tribe Palace, and time had changed both of them physically, both of them felt for a moment that they were back in a (much happier, kinder, _carefree_) time when they could be themselves. The past, where they didn't have as many worries as before.

"I miss those times," she murmured under her breath.

"I...I do too," Soo-Won admitted quietly. That was the most genuine thing she had heard from Soo-Won in a long, _long _time.

They both sat there for a moment. She shut her eyes, breathing out softly and taking comfort in his steady presence beside her. _Sometimes_, she mused, _it would be nice for time to just stop for awhile._

Unconsciously, a memory flooded into her mind.

"_Li-Hua! Let's all play together!" A ghost of a hand reached out._

She opened her eyes, half expecting to see crimson hair and a half upturned smirk next to her. Instead, her outstretched hands met empty space. Soo-Won simply watched, silent.

"Let's go, Li-Hua," he said quietly, the sound of her name on his lips startling her out of her reverie. He stood up, holding out his hand to her, studying her with an intensity that was slightly unnerving. Soo-Won had always known her too well. _Always._

She took his hand, hoisting herself to her feet. For a moment, Li-Hua's hand lingered in Soo-Won's before she pulled back almost reluctantly. "...yeah," she sighed.

"Are you planning on staying?"

"Can I?" Li-Hua asked casually with a somewhat lopsided grin, shoving her hands in her pockets and leaning back on her left foot lazily. Although her question was carefree enough, there was weight to her words. Like it or not, the Fire Tribe and its officials were treading on thin ice at the moment. One wrong move, and the political tension between them and the rest of the tribes could intensify into a full-blown war once again.

And even though she knew how fierce the Fire Tribe could be, Li-Hua knew which side would win.

"You know that you're always welcome."

"By you, maybe," she said delicately, climbing back down from the palace roof. She felt something warm stir in her chest at his casual, almost nonchalant statement. Li-Hua offered a hand to help the Emperor down, but the blonde easily stepped down by himself. Her mouth twitched upwards into a somewhat amused half-smile. Walking alongside him as they moved through the hallway, she quipped, "You're quite independent now, aren't you, your Imperial Majesty?"

"Why the sudden change of formality?" Soo-Won asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You know as well as I do that it'd be better if we keep the gossip to a minimum at the moment," Li-Hua chided, amber eyes meeting his sky blue levelly. She paused for a moment before turning away. Her shoulder slacked and the raven haired woman asked quietly, "Shouldn't you be going to your next meeting, now? I know that you're busy."

"I should," Soo-Won agreed amiably, and to her surprise, she felt him place his hand gently on her shoulder. Guiding her to the right hallway that would lead to the main makeshift meeting room of the Fire Tribe palace, Soo-Won explained, "I think it'd be in your best interests for you to be at this meeting as well."

"Ah, I see." Li-Hua fought to keep a level tone as the two guards standing in front of the grand scarlet doors bowed, opening the doors for the two to stroll past.

"Not going to question me?" She could hear the smallest hint of a smile in Soo-Won's voice, although when she turned around to gaze at him, the man had assumed his colder, _Emperor's_ gaze. Li-Hua had seen such a look even back in the past, but she had only caught fleeting glances of it whenever Soo-Won practiced archery with Hak. Eyes narrowed in concentration, gaze firm and looking straight...Soo-Won truly looked like an _Emperor_.

It scared her, in a way, to see her childhood friend in such a state. To see a different side of him that she didn't see very often. But at the same time, it was just _Soo-Won_. Li-Hua swallowed back the temptation to ask Soo-Won about Yona, to see how much the Emperor actually knew. He had his own reasons: Li-Hua _knew_ that. And she would respect his decision to not tell her, although that didn't mean she didn't like that.

Li-Hua should've been angry at him. Furious, even, since she _knew_ that Hak had been telling the truth when he said that Soo-Won killed Emperor Il. Yet, instead of rage of any kind...the woman simply felt _sadness_.

If things had turned out different, Li-Hua might've returned to a palace with a kind, naive Princess and said Princess's calm and collected fiance/cousin. Along with Hak as their royal bodyguard, Li-Hua was sure that the four of them would've been _happy_, to some extent. Yet, at the same time, Li-Hua couldn't help but wonder if things were better the way they were now.

If things hadn't turned out this way, Yona never would've journeyed away from the palace to become the strong woman she was now. Li-Hua would've never met Jae-Ha, nor Yoon, nor any of the other Dragons. All of the lives that had been affected by that idiotic (_happy, loving_) group (_family_) would've turned out for the worse.

_Were things better this way?_

"Lord Kyo-Ga," Soo-Won's voice suddenly called out, and Li-Hua was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of her charge's name. "Thank you for agreeing to come here today. I'd also like to extend my greetings and gratitude to the rest of you Generals for assembling here today. We are here to discuss Li Hui Zhong, and her future prospects."

Li-Hua's head snapped rapidly for her to stare at the Emperor incredulously. She hadn't heard about this before...did that mean that they were planning on talking about this _without her_ if Soo-Won hadn't interfered? Soo-Won did not turn to look at her, but she was sure he knew that she was staring at him intently.  
"Your Imperial Majesty, with all due respect...why is that brat _here_ right now? I thought that we were going to discuss without her?" Earth Tribe General Geun-Tae asked bluntly. Li-Hua could almost see the Water Tribe General beside him wince at the man's lack of tact.

"As this is concerning her future, I have deemed her presence necessary at this meeting as well," Soo-Won explained, not even batting an eyelash at the question. He held his composure remarkably well, like a true emperor. Li-Hua had to admire her friend for that. "First of all, we must come to an ultimatum about her involvement in the plot against Kouka."

"Not guilty of treason," a voice said immediately, and Li-Hua glanced over to recognize Tae-Woo. Back in the day, she had occasionally met the boy when she visited Hak in the Wind Tribe. Li-Hua had heard that Mundok had retired and left the Wind Tribe General position to him, but it was a whole different thing to actually _see_ him acting as a General.

"I concur," the Water Tribe General said lightly. "We have done ample investigation into the matter, and I believe that it can be concluded that Li Hui Zhong was not involved. At least, not directly." Li-Hua's eyes narrowed at the possible political jibe. She knew that tensions between the Water Tribe and Fire Tribe had always been somewhat strong, but it was quite interesting to see such tension in action. Li-Hua had no doubt that the General didn't actually believe she was involved in any way, so there must have been a different reason for his insinuation.

"Zhong is my trusted subordinate who helped take down the rebels and _defeated Li Hazara_, while you and your troops were twiddling your thumbs," Kyo-Ga growled. Everyone blinked for a moment, taken aback at the noble's ferocious tone. Pleasantly, Kyo-Ga waved his hand delicately, demurely nodding his head. "Continue."

A smile quirked on her lips. Kyo-Ga had always been the person to snap back and defend any of his subordinates, despite how harsh he may have seemed to some people. He had always been a person who valued loyalty, and for that, Li-Hua would always respect him.

"She's not a part of the plot. The kid's stupid, but not _that_ stupid." That was the most recognition she'd get out of Geun-Tae. He was a gruff person, no doubt, but he was also extremely kind and forgiving. Despite the fact that Li-Hua had never personally interacted with the man, at the very least it seemed as if rumors didn't have any effect on him. "Not guilty."

Soo-Won nodded in assent. "I believe we've reached a decision. Li Hui Zhong will not be charged with treason of any kind against the country. Onto our next discussion. I was thinking that it'd be possible for Li-Hua to join my Royal Guard, if you'd allow it, Lord Kyo-Ga. She has superior combat abilities that would assist me in my trips outside of the capitol, and I find that her advice has a ring of truth in it that others do not dare to try pointing out to me."

Li-Hua stared for a moment, stupefied. Soo-Won hadn't said anything of the sorts to her about _that_. It was an honor to be invited to accompany the Emperor, something that was usually discussed and agreed on behind the scenes. Soo-Won probably wanted to surprise her, or something. If that was his plan, it certainly worked: Li-Hua found herself at a complete loss for words. Geun-Tae broke into a round of suspicious coughs. "Are you sure it's _just_ because of her combat abilities?" He muttered, and Li-Hua hummed innocently as a hairpin imbedded itself neatly into the wall only centimeters away from the Earth General's face.

"With all due respect, your Imperial Majesty," Kyo-Ga suddenly spoke up, "If she permits it, I would like to keep Zhong by my side. It will take a lot of effort and manpower to rebuild the Fire Tribe to its former glory, and there are not many others I can trust to help the people without any ulterior motives rather than Zhong."

The tension in the room seemed to heighten immensely, and Li-Hua pretended that she didn't notice the raised eyebrows shot towards her from both Geun-Tae and Tae-Woo. Her cheeks burned, partially from their stares and partially because _she didn't expect for this to happen._

"Li-Hua."

The sound of her given name made her head shoot up, and she could see Soo-Won's gaze planted firmly on her. "What do _you_ want?" The Emperor enunciated carefully, and for a moment, it felt as if the world had turned still. Her mouth opened to respond, but no words came out. She paused, golden eyes flashing with uncertainty.

_What did she want?_

Li-Hua had been so used to following orders. She just did whatever others told her to do... yet now, she was presented with a choice.

_What did she want?_

Would it...would it be alright for her to be selfish, just this once?

Li-Hua wanted to relieve Soo-Won of the burden he was carrying. She wanted to support him, show him that he _wasn't_ alone in this world of politics. She wanted to show him that although the Emperor's position was like a cage, she'd make sure to make it a _comfortable and secure_ cage, somewhere where he could be happy.

_What did she want?_

But, at the same time, she wanted to help her lord. Li-Hua owed Kyo-Ga a tremendous debt for taking her in for all those years, not to mention she'd never be able to repay him for saving her life that day, so many years ago. She wanted to help the people of the Fire Tribe. Kan Tae-Jun was already reforming the Fire Tribe, introducing some new kind of crop that flourished even in the rough climate of the Fire Tribe.

_What did she want?_

But...despite all of this, Li-Hua knew what she desired.

Just this once...could she act a little selfish?

"I…" Her mouth felt dry, and Li-Hua licked her lips as she continued, her hesitant tone shifting to one of conviction. "There's a group of people. Travellers, who I journeyed with before returning to the Fire Tribe. I promised to meet them again."

It looked as if _everyone_ was going to start jumping into her speech, but Soo-Won raised a hand and silenced them all. "Continue," he prompted, and she could feel something squeeze in her chest. _She was sorry, she wasn't abandoning him...she'd come back. She had to._

"I made a promise." She repeated again, "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it," Li-Hua stated carefully. "Give me a month or two. I'll return after. I swear it, on my honor as a soldier. You can keep contact with me through Soo...his Imperial Highness's hawk. He'll know how to find me."

She turned to Kyo-Ga, trying to push back the growing guilty gnawing at her insides. "I have several trusted subordinates that can help reform the Fire Tribe while I'm gone. Seung, the man you met at the trial...he'll do well in my absence."

Turning to Soo-Won, she said quietly, "I'll return, but in the meanwhile...if you're looking for someone reliable to join the Royal Guard, perhaps you can meet with Eun? He was one of the soldiers I roomed with before the rebellion."

"I already asked him, and he's accepted," Soo-Won revealed. Li-Hua's eyes grew brighter at those words. She knew that Soo-Won would take good care of her friend, and she knew that Eun would be the kind of person to watch over the Emperor and _care_ for him.

"Good," she whispered, closing her eyes solemnly. She didn't want for Eun to be alone, not after Chung-Hee was permanently injured and..Ryu's...death. (_Don't think about it, don't blame yourself, you have to keep moving like the soldier you are.) _If she left for Yona's group without ensuring her friend's happiness, Li-Hua could never have lived with herself. Opening her eyes, she declared, "I know that you all don't believe me fully. But when I make promises, I intend to keep them. Two months, Soo-Won." She ignored the gasps at the sound of the Emperor's given name, instead choosing to stare at her childhood friend in the eye. Without knowing it, a bit of desperation seeped into her voice, desperation that he caught immediately. "_Please._"

She had to get away from the castle politics, even for a little bit. Li-Hua felt as if she was suffocating, and the thought of meeting Yona and the rest once again made her heart soar. Soo-Won studied her expression for a moment, and Li-Hua felt almost as if her friend was staring into her very soul. Soo-Won had a habit of perceiving her thoughts with little to no problem.

"...very well. Are there any objections?" Soo-Won asked, turning to face the Generals. Li-Hua couldn't see the look in her friend's eyes, but she supposed there must have been something intense about it, for nobody made a sound. "It is decided, then. When do you leave, Li-Hua?"

"...tonight," Li-Hua decided quickly. "Before I change my mind about everything. I need to find them before they move somewhere even more obscure."

"They must be an interesting bunch," Tae-Woo said quietly. She locked gazes with the Wind Tribe General, nodding in acknowledgment.

"They are," she said softly. "Thank you."

She'd leave the next night.

* * *

**A/N: Jae-Ha next chapter! It's halfway finished. :D**

**Sorry for the delay! Life caught up with me. Final exams are next week for me (pray for me) but after I'll be working to update quicker. The collaborative story between _Ita-chan18, JDominique37_, and I is extremely long and almost finished! If any of you have read their stories, _Sunshine and Moonlight_ and _Where the Skies Align _(both are complete, AnY OC stories) (although I have been made aware that ita-chan just made a sequel for WTSA), it'll be a crossover between all of our stories. Look forward to that ufufufufu. ****aLSO REJOICE BECAUSE I'M FINALLY EDITING PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.**

**Annnnd the superhero/miraculous-inspired!AU will be completed sometime and added to the bottom of one of the future chapters. SHOUTOUT TO MY FELLOW MIRACULOUS LADYBUG/WHO NEEDS LOVE FAM.**

**Bless your souls for reading this story. And being so kind, and sweet, and adorable, and...and...I could go on forever, honestly LOL with this incorrect grammar of mine. Thanks for reviewing/favorite-ing/following/reading!**

**Until next time~**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Ah, you can probably tell how little I want to deal with angsty stuff rn in this fic hAHAHA. Love you all!**

**Also, yes, I wrote Jae-Ha's perspective and dANG IT IS HARD.**

* * *

"A place to stay?" the door creaked open a fraction, allowing for light to shine on the travelers' faces as the sound of rain drizzling surrounded them. Jae-Ha's expression remained placid as the group fell silent, all eyes turning to their self-proclaimed pretty boy genius to speak.

"The cheapest room you have for seven people to stay overnight," Yoon requested immediately. The strawberry blonde glanced mindfully at the bag of coins secured to his side.

"...hm. I'm vacant. That will be one for 600 rin."

Jae-Ha stirred, about to protest at the amount, when he felt Yoon send a sharp glare at him. "Thank you," the strawberry blonde said, bobbing his head in acknowledgment of the deal. The man at the door let out a noncommittal grunt before ushering them inside. Within a few moments, each of them were handed towels by an elderly lady at the counter.

Her looks reminded Jae-Ha of Gi-Gan, and he idly wondered how the woman was doing. After the fall of Yang Kum Ji, he doubted that the woman would've been content weaving cotton or cleaning households, like many women in Awa did. Maybe she'd deal with the port. Or maybe she'd finally settle down and use her knowledge of herbs to her advantage. (Awa's apothecary, Jae-Ha recalled, had passed away several years ago.)

As he dried off his hair and quickly redid his ponytail, Jae-Ha caught Yona murmuring to herself. "The lush, green land of the Water Tribe...it's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing it, but all I see is rain…"

Jae-Ha raised an eyebrow at that statement for a moment. If it had been another noble, he might have expected for her expectations of "lush, green land" to come from textbooks. But then again, considering the stories he had heard of the Princess before her change of attitude, he doubted that she paid any serious attention to her royal tutors. Perhaps she heard something from someone: Hak or Li, maybe. "The land of water drenched in rain is rather elegant and beautiful, too," he pointed out, watching with amusement as Shin-Ah attempted to dry Ao off with a towel.

"Shisen. It's a prominent port town in the Water Tribe, too, right?" Hak asked over his shoulder, leaning over Yona to observe the rain outside.

"Yeah," Yoon confirmed. "After we went to the market, I heard a few rumors. It seems there's been some unrest on the coasts of the Water Tribe."

Yona looked away from the rain, turning to glance at Yoon. Questioningly, she commented, "I heard the people of the Water Tribe were temperate. I can't imagine there being unrest."

"There are a lot of outsiders who go in and out of port towns. It's only common for there to be a few disputes," Jae-Ha pointed out logically. He was familiar enough with such incidents: every now and then, such things occurred in Awa. After Yang Kum Ji's rise, however, most of the incidents occurred between his soldiers and the townspeople.

"Anyway, it's this rain!" Yoon waved off the subject. Behind him, Shin-Ah and Zeno casually stripped off their shirts, Kija blinking innocently beside them. "We probably won't be able to move any further, so let's get some unrest."

Yona coughed, drawing attention to her. "By the way, I also want to take off my drenched clothes, so get out for just a bit."

Jae-Ha couldn't help the grin that snuck on his face as he felt Hak yank on his ponytail, the rest of the boys already exiting the room. The green haired man couldn't help but smirk when he noticed light pink dusting both Yoon and Kija's cheeks.

_How cute,_ he reflected, resisting the urge to ruffle the youngsters' heads. _Ah, now I feel old._ To distract himself, he casually asked, "Hak, why don't you go help her change?"

"Her fists would send me flying even if I did it out of jest," Hak deadpanned.

Jae-Ha snickered. "I'm envious," he said mournfully. "Yona wouldn't do something like that to me…"

"What's wrong?"

Jae-Ha twitched. Am I a child? "Nothing." Suddenly, an idea struck him. Quickly, a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he started casually, "Oh yeah, Hak…"

"Yeah?"

"Since we can't leave this place anyway, why don't we go outside for a bit?"

Hak was obviously sensing something fishy about the situation. "Where to?" He asked suspiciously.

"The red-light district," Jae-Ha murmured into the black haired warrior's ears, taking delight in seeing Hak's expression shift into shock and traumatized horror for a miniscule second before reverting back to his deadpan face. Jae-Ha cleared his throat, an idiotic smile spread on his lips. "Speaking of the Water Tribe, it's famous for having graceful, elegant ladies! Since we're here, we adults ought to indulge in—"

"I'm_ not _going."

Jae-Ha snickered again. He really _was_ too easy.

"I'm well aware you whole-heartedly pour all your love on Yona, but it's unhealthy to restrain yourself so badly~"

"_Shut up or I'll make those eyes of yours droop even more_."

* * *

"Uwaaaaaah! _Don't come here!_ EEEEEEEK!"

Li-Hua shivered for a moment, casting a glance at the screaming man at the right side of the road. After several days of weary travel, she had managed to make it into the Water Tribe. She had been unsure about her course of action at first: although she agreed to reunite with the group in the Water Tribe, she wasn't sure where they'd be. The black haired woman inwardly cursed herself for that oversight.

She had finally decided to travel all the way to the coastal side of the Water Tribe, figuring that Yona would eventually travel to the coast for some reason or another. As she traveled through the Water Tribe, it was easy enough to discern that something was _off_ about several of the towns she visited. In particular, the towns closer to the coast were littered with drug addicts.

Li-Hua had gotten used to seeing dead bodies after serving as a soldier for so long, but it was a completely different story to _see_ a dead body floating in a canal with townspeople casually walking past it. She pursed her lips. There was just something so _wrong_ about these towns.

"Don't touch me!" A woman shrieked, and immediately Li-Hua's attention turned towards the sound of the commotion to ensure that there wasn't any harassing going on. Instead, with a single cursory scan, Li-Hua could deduce that her initial hypothesis had been wrong. Red eyes, coughing, discolored nails and teeth...the woman, dressed haphazardly in ragged clothing, was definitely a drug addict. An older man who must have been her father pleaded with her to come outside, but the woman was still latched firmly to the doorway of the house, refusing to budge.

"Excuse me?" She stopped a young woman who was passing by with a basket of groceries. The woman, although slightly annoyed, paused and turned to her. Lowering her voice, Li-Hua asked quietly, "I'm a traveler. I've noticed that there seems to be a..._drug_ problem going on around parts like these. What can you tell me about this drug?"

The woman's eyebrows narrowed at the subject, but glancing into Li-Hua's eyes, she probably saw that the black haired woman wouldn't give up. "It's called _nadai_," she revealed. "It's smuggled through coastal towns from Southern Kai. Right after taking it, you feel immense pleasure and your pain is dulled...or at least, that's what I heard. But little by little, you start seeing hallucinations, feeling pain wrecking your entire body...eventually, you just go crazy. If you fall to nadai even once, you'll keep wanting to get it. No matter what."

The woman snorted. "Listen, girl. You don't look dumb, I'll tell you that much. Hightail it out of here while you still can."

"Then why don't you?" Li-Hua couldn't help but ask curiously, and the woman gave her a dubious look.

"Despite everything, this place," the woman jabbed a thumb behind her and continued, "is still my home. I can't abandon it. Besides, as long as you know who and where to stay away from, it ain't that bad."

"I see. Thank you for your time," Li-Hua dipped her head in gratitude, the woman rolling her eyes slightly and nodding before picking up her basket of groceries and hurrying off.

_Nadai, huh?_ Li-Hua had no doubt that Yona's group would probably run into some kind of trouble dealing with the drug. Being the self sacrificial people they were, she _also_ had no doubt that the group would try to stay and help.

Well, shit.

She had to get moving before one of the idiots accidentally downed some of the drug.

(Unfortunately, somewhere else in the Water Tribe at the exact same moment, Jae-Ha had already been offered a drink by a trembling young girl.)

* * *

"Shisen Port, huh?" Li-Hua commented idly. Glancing at the falcon on her shoulder, she gave it a small smile. "Thanks for sending me the note, but I think Soo-Won probably needs my reply by now. Can't have all the Generals kicking up a fuss about me being a traitor, or the like."

But still, for Soo-Won to request for her to look into trivial manners like a rebellious girl...well, she supposed he had his reasons. She glanced down at the parchment again, rereading the last few sentences again. '_I get the feeling you two would get along, from what I've heard of Lady Lily's personality. General Joon-Gi is getting a little anxious, since he's still over here sorting out matters at the Fire Tribe. He says his daughter might try something reckless. If you don't mind...please watch over her.'_

"It's always the female nobles," Li-Hua said quietly, chuckling. If Lady Lily was anything like Yona, though, Li-Hua figured that she would be alright to talk to. Knowing the red haired princess's luck, Li-Hua guessed that she'd probably stumble upon them by chance soon enough. Her feet finally stopped as she reached her destination, sighing and staring up at a house. "This was where Lady Lily's bodyguards said they'd be staying…"

She knocked twice, expecting for someone to open the door. After several moments of silence, Li-Hua mumbled a quiet apology before slipping a hairpin out of her hair and easily unlocking the door. "Hello?" She called, but the black haired woman didn't hear any response. A...kidnapping, perhaps? Li-Hua's senses were fully alert, now.

She stalked through the house warily, and finally came across a dimly lit room. Walking towards the candle in the center of the room, she spotted a note and quickly read it.

'_Lady Lily, if you return, please stay here. We have gone to search for you. -Tetora'_

"She's missing?" Li-Hua cursed, immediately kicking off to her feet. It was dark by now, and the streets were hardly safe. She had to find the noblewoman quickly, before something happened to her. The black haired warrior exited the house, glancing from side to side for a moment to decide her best course of action.

Finally, her eyes slid upwards towards the rooftops. She considered the notion for a second before discarding it. Li-Hua didn't have enough time to pull off a Jae-Ha, she had to check to make sure Lady Lily wasn't in any grave danger as of yet.

Well, the first place to check was obviously the more seedy areas of the port town. Li-Hua made a beeline to the beach, where she knew most of the drug addicts hung around. There were plenty of late house bars around that area, and as long as Lady Lily wasn't there, she'd probably be somewhat safe.

Nothing, except for two tents and several shady looking people with colorful hair—

...wait.

"_Li-Hua!" _She had barely a moment to register her name being called when she nearly was thrown to the ground due to the force of a small body slamming into her. She groaned, feeling hands wrap around her waist, staggering and managing to stay on her feet.

Groggily, she identified the perpetrator. "...Zeno?"

"Zeno's so glad to see that this young miss is unharmed!" The blonde beamed.

At the commotion, several other people poked their heads out from the tent.

"Li-Hua?" "Ah, the hag?" "Li-Hua!" "Ah, Li~"

"_Personal space_," Li-Hua snarled, managing to avoid a hug from Jae-Ha despite Zeno still clinging onto her. Most of the tension in her body had released at the sight of the group in front of her. "This wasn't exactly how I planned for our reunion to go, but…"

'_Please watch over her.'_

"Ah, shoot. I forgot completely," Li-Hua cursed, mentally slapping herself. With great effort (_Zeno was _strong_, despite how he looked)_, she managed to worm free of the Yellow Dragon's embrace. She apologized, "Sorry, but I've been entrusted with the task of watching over someone. I don't suppose you guys have seen an aristocratic looking girl?"

"Nope."

"I don't think so?"

"Nu-uh."

Each of the group members shook their heads before freezing and turning to Yona. "...wait a minute…"

"Ah, well, we did meet a young girl with long black hair," Yona said helpfully. "She had two bodyguards who were worried about her."

"She went home, right?" Li-Hua demanded, grabbing Yona by the shoulders.

"Oi, hag, _watch it,_" Hak warned, and Li-Hua blinked for a moment. Then, regaining her composure, her arms dropped to her sides.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment," Li-Hua apologized.

"It's fine," Yona smiled, her amethyst eyes softening. "I'm glad to see that you're not hurt. We have to catch up, I'm sure there's a lot you can tell us about the Fire Tribe. We've heard the rumors, but they're not always the most informative. Some...some even said you died."

"Well, lucky~ it seems as if Li hasn't died!" Jae-Ha pointed out wisely.

"Never would've noticed," Hak remarked dryly.

"I'll talk more with you tomorrow if you're still here, I promise," Li-Hua confided. "I just need to ensure Lady Lily's safety first. I owe it to Soo-Won."

The atmosphere seemed to have dropped several degrees for a moment before Li-Hua coughed awkwardly, adding, "_Annnnnd_ General Joon-Gi. He voted in my favor. Um, yeah. Sorry. Love you all...except Jae-Ha. Later."

And, as she turned tails and literally hightailed it out of there as fast as she possibly could, Li-Hua was struck by a revelation:

_You, Li-Hua, are both a dork and a coward._

* * *

**A/N: You can _really_ tell how I wanted to create a more humorous/random/cheerful atmosphere.**

**(I'm trash. This chapter is trash. I don't know what I'm doing. _I'm sorry LMAO_.)**

**CHEERS TO A NON-ANGSTY REUNION. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD WRITE SUCH A THING.**

**Still love you all. Dying and drowning in Summer classes now rip. xoxoxo**

**Until next time!**


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